


Heroes of Another Story

by Agent66



Series: War of the Worlds [12]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Beach City, Crimes & Criminals, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Medical, Partners in Crime, Side Story, Slice of Life, day in the life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2020-06-27 16:11:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19794400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agent66/pseuds/Agent66
Summary: While the Crystal Gems and Connie Maheswaran were off saving the day, the citizens of Beach City and the surrounding areas were being heroes in their own right.





	1. Incident in Beach City

**Author's Note:**

> And welcome back! It's only been a few short days, but I wanted to get this sequel out as soon as I could. Like any Steven Universe season, this story centers on the people of Beach City; unlike other fans, I don't believe those 'slice of life' episodes are filler, but are obviously setting up for something.
> 
> And that's certainly true of this story :) As the title suggests, Beach City actually has a bunch of heroes that don't have gems or magical abilities and they're helping people every day as we'll see in these five chapters. All five chapters tie in to each other, with chapter four tying into my side story, [Fight for Our World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449766). Once I finish this story, I will update the latter one.
> 
> I'd like to give a shout out to [Corey WW](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoreyWW/pseuds/CoreyWW) and [E350tb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb) who kick started the idea of PeeDee & Jeff as a couple. You can find their awesome works by clicking on their names. And of course, thank you to everyone who's been on this very long journey with me. I still a few more stories before we close up this first section and then I'll take the standard SU hiatus (though mine will hopefully not be THAT long) and will return with the second half.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a typical day in Beach City, PeeDee Fryman helps save one person before helping to find info on saving others.

It was a normal day in Beach City.

Pretty much every day in Beach City was normal, though it truly depended on your definition of normalcy. The town was literally full of about twelve people, making it just a sleepy town that tourists came through, either passing by or for a quick stop on the way up to Empire City or through Keystone; for residents however, their city was just the same as any.

Well, almost the same.

The difference between Beach City and others was the presence of three magical ladies who happened to take care of a young teen aged boy, who had a piece of jewelry stuck where his belly button would be. These four would then go about protecting the city from strange monsters that would try to attack, usually going about destroying property, which mostly ended up being Fish Stew Pizza. Recently, the town had seen more of these strange creatures, which also coincided with a few of the residents nearly being abducted.

One of their citizens, the very teenager that was being cared for by the magical ladies, had actually been captured and apparently taken into space. His father, longtime resident Greg Universe, had taken it upon himself to keep the city safe, though he only had a small device to help with that. Greg had gone to Mayor William ‘Bill’ Dewey, mostly because the other citizens pleaded with him to make the mayor do _something_ about these recent events.

Nanafua Pizza, the elderly matriarch of the Pizza family, had been the most vocal about these abductions, gathering a crowd for a protest out on the boardwalk. Greg hadn’t been a part of a protest in years and while he did have some sympathy for Dewey – it couldn’t be easy to be the leader of a town that was constantly under attack by strange beings from space – at the same time, he understood where the others were coming from. As much as everyone was used to the corrupted gems appearing from time to time and were used to seeing the Gems around town, it was something completely different to be kidnapped and taken into outer space by aliens.

The former musician certainly knew about that.

Greg’s journey to the human zoo was the first in a string of attempted abductions of Beach City citizens, the first time that the residents were actually in danger from the strange occurrences that usually befell the town thanks to having the gems living there. Those abductions had started a trend amongst the populace, a constant cry that their mayor do something, anything, but it had fallen on deaf, or possibly, unconcerned ears.

Things seemed to be changing in Beach City, but the town still remained – at its heart – a sleepy coastal town. While Steven Universe and his Crystal Gems went about saving the day and planet off-world, Beach City was known to have its share of adventures, too…

* * *

On a bright, sunny day, Peter David Fryman – known as PeeDee to most of those who knew him – had been forced to take a break from his normal fry duties at Beach Citywalk Fries. His father was always insisting that he try to take some time off, while equally insisting that his brother Ronaldo actually do some work; the issue was that PeeDee _enjoyed_ working and today, his annoyance just resulted in the the fact that he had been forced to do schooling and things that were not work related.

For as young as PeeDee was, he definitely held an old soul, one steeped in the hard work and determination to see the fruits of your labor rewarded; it was this sense of work ethics that allowed the young blonde to look past his older brother’s slack behavior. Less work for Ronaldo meant more work for PeeDee.

But as with many things, all of that came to an end when his father asserted that he go outside and enjoy the summer sun.

Summers in Beach City were hot, but thanks to the nearby bay, breezes were typical and helped to cool those out during the day. Summers were one of the biggest tourist seasons for the town, with many city dwellers coming in to enjoy the beach and the waves, as well as the businesses that lined the boardwalk.

So instead of slinging fries, PeeDee was wondering up and down the streets, restless without anything of true purpose or productivity he was used to. It was during these relative bouts of downtime that PeeDee Fryman was reminded of how he didn’t really have a ton of friends to pal around with. Newly fourteen, the young blonde didn’t typically hang out with the other teenagers, despite knowing and being on good terms with the so-called cool kids.

Most teenagers weren’t so business forward thinking, so hanging out with one who was as cynical about life as he was about business didn’t really bode for strong friendships. Honestly, PeeDee could count maybe two friends on his hand and they were both involved with magical events; the blonde felt he probably got on with Connie Maheswaran better than he did Steven Universe, only because the former also held a healthy sense of reality versus Steven’s overly optimistic view of the world.

During the school year, PeeDee was forced to take off at least six hours so he could get his homework done. Because their business was a family affair and his father really couldn’t count on Ronaldo to be trusted to mind the store, both boys were taking classes remotely, receiving their homework via the Internet. Ronaldo was barely scrapping by, his focus fully on his paranormal research and trying to find ‘the truth’ that was so clearly out there.

PeeDee was actually a very bright boy and he excelled in his schoolwork, despite him finding it a distraction to what he actually wanted to do - work. He usually got his homework done early and as quick as possible so he could hurry back to the stand or, in most cases, he’d just do his schooling on the side while serving the various people - mostly Steven - that came past.

Wondering aimlessly, PeeDee waved to those that he knew and passed - Nanafua was taking out the trash behind Fish Stew, while Onion ran past him, probably running away from the scene of a crime. He passed by the fry stand, noting that Ronaldo wasn’t paying any attention to the fries in the background, too busy trying to explain strange lights that had been in the sky a few nights ago to the patrons lined up.

Heading towards the Big Donut, he saw Sadie Miller trying to shoo out Steven’s pet lion, Lars Barriga nowhere in sight - of course - before he turned the corner and headed down the adjacent street. Up ahead, Mayor Dewey was setting up his Mayormobile, prepared to drive out to trump up votes for his re-re-re-re-election campaign. Even PeeDee knew that this time, Dewey may not have another chance with the town; Nanafua had been one of the first people to call Dewey out for not doing anything in light of the alien abductions that had recently taken place.

Further down the street was the It’s A Wash car wash, where Greg Universe - Steven’s father - worked. Today the former musician was sitting out front in a familiar lawn chair and strumming his guitar; Bucky Dewey sat nearby, also strumming on a guitar, mimicking the tones and movement of the elder man. He waved hello to both when they saw him before taking a left and heading down the street.

Suitcase Sam was approaching him on the other side, nodding as the two passed each other. PeeDee was probably one of the only people in town who sorta knew Sam, talked to him even. The teen liked Sam, though he was quiet and often kept to himself, he was a shrewd businessman, selling a variety of different things out of his own boardwalk shop.

To be honest, Suitcase Sam was a bit of a role model for PeeDee, a business owner, running his own shop, and was successful at it. That wasn’t to say that their shop wasn’t doing well, it was and had been, and one day the teen hoped that his father would retire and leave the business to him. PeeDee already had some ideas of what he wanted to do, branch out maybe, take the fries on the road at some point to help bring more business.

His mind back on that very subject, PeeDee hadn’t realized he had walked passed most of the houses on the street and was coming back around towards the beach. Turning the corner, he came across a group of four boys, or rather three boys surrounding a smaller boy with brown hair. PeeDee immediately recognized the smaller boy as one that had attended Connie’s birthday party last month.

What was the kid’s name? John? Josh? Jeff? It must have been something close to that and PeeDee was sure it started with a J.

The three other boys seemed much older, forming a circle around the kid, and were clearly hassling him. “Hey!” PeeDee yelled out, causing the group to turn at look at him as he approached.

“Keep out of this kid,” stated one boy, the larger of the trio, who stood about a head taller than all combined. He was dressed in a black and yellow striped tank top that PeeDee was sure was actually an old wife beater looking at its appearance.

“I’ll stay out of it once you leave this kid alone,” the blonde retorted. The other two boys looked at their leader, their eyes slightly wide, as though they had never heard anyone speak to the larger boy this way before.

Breaking away from the group, the obvious leader took a menacing step towards PeeDee. “And what’s it to you?” he asked. “He your boyfriend or something?”

“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” PeeDee retorted, tilting his head to the side.

That only seemed to ignite the older boy, who took another step towards PeeDee. “Watch your mouth, squirt,” the boy growled. “Or I’ll shut it for you.”

“Big words,” the blonde replied. “But I’d like to mention that I’m a resident here and I happen to know a lot of people, including the mayor, and I’m pretty sure you haven’t met our...very special residents that live up on the beach.”

The larger boy wasn’t sure what to make of the statement, turning to look at his cohorts before glancing at PeeDee. “C’mon Dave,” said one of the boys. “This isn’t worth it. Let’s go and hit the beach.”

“Yeah, man,” said the third. “We should be checking out the girls, not hanging around these kids. They probably don’t even like girls.”

“At least I know what a girl is,” PeeDee smirk. “Not sure if you three do.”

“Why you little…”

“MAY-OR DEW-EY!”

The loud voice of Major Dewey in the Mayormobile blared as the truck turned the corner and came up the street, startling the other four. “Dude, let’s go,” one of the other boys persisted. “This town is totally weird.”

The larger boy sniffed, sending a sneer towards the blonde and the brunette. “Watch your back, losers,” he said, turning away to follow his friends. He didn’t leave without incident however, as he gave the smaller boy a hard push until he fell to ground.

PeeDee waited until the boys left before he walked over and helped the boy up. “You alright?” he asked, righting the boy as he got to his feet.

“Y-yeah,” the brunette stumbled. “Thanks. I made the mistake of bumping into the bigger guy and that’s when they kinda ganged up on me. Sorta wish my friend Connie had been around.”

“I thought you looked familiar,” PeeDee stated. “You were one of her friends at her birthday party, right?”

The boy nodded. “Yeah,” he said. He held out his hand. “Jeff Collins.”

“PeeDee Fryman,” the blonde responded, shaking the outstretched hand. “I take it you’re here to enjoy the summer sun?”

Jeff chuckled. “Something like that,” he said, nervously. “I was actually hoping to hang out with Connie and I know she sometimes comes down here to hang out with Steven. I called her cell, but she wasn’t answering, so I called her house to make sure she was okay. I guess she went with Steven and his family on a vacation or something.”

The preteen shrugged. “I haven’t really been in the town, so I thought I’d look around.”

“Want a guide?” PeeDee blurted, blushing slightly at the sudden statement. “I mean, I’ve lived here all my life, so I know about the sights and stuff. If...if you wanted.”

“Yeah, I mean…” Jeff kinda stumbled a bit. “If you aren’t busy or anything.”

“Nah,” the teen replied. “My dad kinda kicked me out of work, insisting that I enjoy the summer sun and such nonsense. Showing you around would actually perk up the day.”

The two smiled at each other, with PeeDee nodding and starting to walk forward, continuing the path he had been on. “As you’ve noticed,” he said, pointing in the direction that the Mayormobile had travelled. “That was Mayor Dewey who passed by. He likes to go out in the Mayormobile on occasion, proclaiming how he’s the best government official we’ve got.”

“Is he?” Jeff asked. “I mean, compared to your other officials?”

“Dewey is our _only_ government official,” PeeDee chuckled. “He’s also run unopposed for years, so he’s the only mayor we’ve ever had. Might be changing though.”

“Oh?”

PeeDee gave the brown haired boy a side glance, wondering how much or how close he was to Connie. Connie Maheswaran was a familiar sight now in Beach City and her association with Steven and his magical family was well known at this point, at least for them, but that didn’t mean Jeff or anyone else outside of the town knew what her relationship was and just what that relationship meant.

“Well…” he hedged. “We had a couple of incidents in the last few weeks that troubled all the adults and stuff. Dewey’s kinda turned a blind eye at a lot of it. Nanafua, that is Grandma Pizza, sorta started a charge against him and it’s gaining traction.”

“Oh,” Jeff said. “Is the mayor really unpopular?”

“Nah,” PeeDee said. “Everyone likes him, he’s a good guy, but as for his leadership, well...I guess he does the best he can and all, but like I said, this latest...event hasn’t garnered him any favors. It’s not like he’s protecting the town or anything. That’s what we have Steven and...well...we’ve got people who take care of that stuff.”

PeeDee could see the confusion on Jeff’s face and he nearly kicked himself for mentioning Steven in the first place. He covered it up by pointing out Funland in the distance and its owner Harold Smiley before starting to point out various residents as they continued.

“See that kid?” PeeDee asked, pointing to the small boy that was walking quickly down the opposite side of the street. “That’s Onion. I’m sure he’s about to rob Funland.” Seeing the look on Jeff’s face, he laughed. “Oh, I don’t mean it like that. He’s totally harmless, really, he just gets into a ton of trouble. Though he’s been pretty quiet as of late, so he must be getting back into form.”

Pointing to a group of teenagers standing on the boardwalk, he continued with, “Up there are the Pizza twins, Jenny and Kiki; they both work at Fish Stew Pizza and they’re trying to get their grandmother to run against Dewey. And that’s Sour Cream, Onion’s brother; he runs the raves down at the warehouse from time to time. My brother Ronaldo will go there sometimes, though it’s usually to try and get more readers for his blog.”

The two boys continued down the street, with Jeff observing the sights and sounds that were coming from the town itself. PeeDee was an expert guide, giving away funny tidbits about residents and even some town history, just enough to get the brunette interested in learning more, though Jeff shyly had to admit to himself it wasn’t just Beach City that had garnered his attention currently.

* * *

An hour later saw both young boys walking away from Citywalk Fries with two cartons of fries, though PeeDee had opted to request the ever popular bits that Steven had been obsessed with since he was old enough to order by himself. Despite finding it incredibly annoying that the curly haired boy constantly ordered off menu, PeeDee couldn’t help but enjoy his weird lunch/snack. Because he worked there, he often avoided sampling his own product, but every now and then, his father would bring home some extra fries and they’d have those along with whatever meal had previously been made.

Jeff, never having any of the boardwalk fare, was almost inclined to try everything, but PeeDee expertly guided him to trying the fries first and - should the boy still be hanging around at dinner - go split a pizza at Fish Stew. They had just finished eating, tossing their used cartons into the trash when Jeff first saw him.

It was one of the boys from earlier, the first one to speak out on having the larger boy, Dave, leave with them to head to the beach for some girl watching. He was around PeeDee’s height, with black hair dotted with red highlights; he was sitting slumped over on the bench across from Citywalk, his eyes concentrated on the phone in his hands.

His face, which sported a small patch of fuzz on his chin, was long and drawn, his eyes scrunched together as though he was trying his best not to cry. PeeDee and Jeff looked at each other, the former more than happy to leave the boy alone, while the latter was thinking of making sure the boy was okay. The blonde ended up acquiescing to the other, following him towards the bench.

“Hey,” Jeff said, approaching the boy. He looked up, startled by the interruption and then surprised at who was speaking. He immediately frowned at them.

“What do you want?” he asked, slumping back down. “Here to make fun of me?”

“We’re not _you_ ,” PeeDee quipped. “Personally, I was more than happy to just ignore you or better yet, ask you to leave my family’s property.”

“You’re not gonna do that,” Jeff chastised. Looking to the other boy, he said, “He won’t do that. And we just wanted to see if you were okay.”

The teen had a ready reply, but his phone beeped, distracting him. He quickly looked at it, his eyes hopeful as he read whatever message that came through, however within minutes, his face fell, as did his shoulders. “Just get it over with,” he whispered. “Or leave me alone.”

“Dude,” PeeDee sighed. “Look, we’re just wondering if everything is okay, which clearly it’s not. But no worries, you want us to go, we’ll go. C’mon Jeff.”

Jeff looked at the boy, then PeeDee, before nodding. “I hope things work out,” he whispered, starting to follow the blonde off.

“Wait.”

Jeff stopped, turning to look at the boy, PeeDee reluctantly doing the same before stepping up next to the brunette. The boy before them sighed, before looking up at them. “Do you guys know anything about boats?” he asked.

Jeff shook his head, while PeeDee shrugged. “I’ve seen my fair share that’re docked over by Funland,” he said. “Why?”

The boy looked down at his phone. “My mom called me earlier, telling me that my dad and little sister went out on one of the boats this morning and they haven’t come back yet. Then she heard there was a crash or something...she hasn’t heard from them since they left and she’s worried that…”

He trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence that would follow. Jeff stepped up and held out his hand. “Jeff,” he said. “And that’s PeeDee.”

The boy looked at the hand and over at the fry boy. “Lance,” he greeted, taking Jeff’s hand and shaking it, nodding at PeeDee who copied the gesture. “Sorry about earlier. Dave’s a real dick sometimes. Kinda wonder why I’m still hanging out with him, to be honest. You’ll notice he’s not here. Soon as he heard my mom calling me, he called me a baby and took off.

“At least Richie asked if I was okay.”

“And us,” the blonde piped up. “So you know, that’s something.”

Lance nodded, a slight smile on his face. “Yeah,” he murmured. “It _is_ something, especially after what happened.”

PeeDee took the space on the left side of Lance, leaning back against the bench. “I may not know about boats,” he said. “But I know people who do. If we see Onion again, we can ask. His dad’s a fisherman and probably knows these waters better than anyone. If there’s any boat out there in trouble, he’d know for sure.”

Lance nodded, a grateful gesture to the both of them. “Thanks.”

The three continued to hang about, Jeff eventually taking the seat on the other side of Lance, and joining in the conversation. They spoke about school, with learning that Lance and Jeff were both from Charm City, though Lance went to a different school than the brunette, while the former learned about PeeDee’s online schooling. Lance was actually impressed that the latter had been working since he was a kid, stating that his parents had been trying to get him to find a job instead of just lazing about at home.

“My dad was on me about that before they went out,” he sighed. “And I’d been picking on Lily, that’s my sister, before we came down here. What if something happened to them? I’d feel like the biggest jerk if my last moments were…I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what’s happened yet,” Jeff replied. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

PeeDee nodded. “Honestly, the last time a boat sank in these waters was like ten, twelve years ago,” he said. “It was a fishing trawler though and it ran against the rocks. It was a pretty bad crash if I remember correctly…”

Jeff sent him a glare. “Not helping,” he hissed.

“Sorry,” the blonde said. “But look, I’m with Jeff on this. I’m sure your family is fine and they’re just waiting for someone to rescue them.” Looking over, he noticed Onion coming back from wherever he’d been, a large sack slung over his shoulder. “Hey Onion!” he called, startling the young boy. PeeDee could tell he was about to bolt, but calmed the boy, saying, “Come over here. It’s not about your ill-gotten gains.”

Onion stood still, contemplating if he should go over or not. He ended up shrugging and walked over, coming to stop in front of the blonde. “You’ve seen your dad today?” he was asked, which he nodded. He mumbled something about him going off with his big brother. “We just saw Sour Cream,” PeeDee said, sharing a look with Jeff. “Did they just get back?” Again, Onion nodded. “You know where they went?”

Onion shook his head, but he murmured that they had just come back from the hospital because they had rescued some people on the water…


	2. A Tale of Two Ships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a trip with his step-father, Sour Cream leans an important lesson when the two attempt to save passengers on a sinking ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot harder to write than I anticipated when the idea first came to me. I was hoping to get both this and the first chapter up and running at the same time, but alas that did not happen.
> 
> And no, binge watching Schitt's Creek had nothing to do with it :p
> 
> This takes place a little earlier in the day from chapter 1.
> 
> As I am not a commercial fisherman, I've pulled a lot of resources together about the trade, as well as working on a fishing boat. If any readers do have experience as such, let me know if I've gotten anything wrong.
> 
> I also tried my best to make a Titanic reference so I could point you all in the direction of CaptainJZH's great story, but it didn't make it in. BUt you should all still check out [Everything in the World Was Standing Still. ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479709/chapters/35935239)

Dawn was fast approaching the small little town of Beach City and while most were still in bed, slumbering and dreaming of the next few hours of fun on the beach, seasoned fisherman Yellowtail was already up, dressed, and headed for his eldest son’s room. They had planned for this trip on a spur of the moment, a suggestion from his lovely wife Vidalia that the two spend some time together this summer.

Summer months were some of the busiest for Yellowtail, usually with him out of the house for the entirety of the summer. There were days of course where he could afford to come back home and rest for a little, enjoy the time with his family before needing to head back. His little boy was growing up, right before his eyes as he seemed to get bigger and bigger each time Yellowtail went away and came back.

The relationship with his step-son, Vidalia’s first boy, had been rocky at first but had thankfully smoothed ever since the arrival and quicker departure of the biological father. Yellowtail had never liked that Marty, hearing how he’d drop in every few years, getting Sour Cream excited to see him before disappointing him with promises that shark had no intention on keeping. Despite their shared interest in music, the fisherman felt that Sour Cream had a far better talent than the smarmy manager, especially after he learned what he had done to Greg Universe.

That had been an issue between them – not that Yellowtail didn’t think Sour Cream wasn’t a talented young man, just that he didn’t want his boy to turn into his biological father. The teenager was too kind and too intelligent to ever do so, but Yellowtail had heard what the entertainment industry could do to a person and he didn’t want that for his son and he always felt and treated Sour Cream like his own.

That was why he had wanted the teen to learn about the fishing trade. Oh, it wasn’t for everyone, that was true, but it was a legacy that was passed down from father to son to grandson and so on. Yellowtail’s own father, uncle, and grandfather had all been fishermen, right here in the same area, learning the sea and its secrets. As grueling as living and working on the ocean could be, it was far more stable than the life of a DJ and Yellowtail had wanted to make sure that his step-son had a future, one far better than the one Marty may have wanted for him, if that.

And finally, today, he’d be able to take Sour Cream out on the water, show him what it was that did when he wasn’t home, that he was trying to ensure their futures – just in case. Yellowtail had been working on the seas for nearly two decades and he was fully aware of the dangers that rested the further out you went and the heartache those left behind endured without their loved one; the fisherman wanted to avoid that for his own family.

It was coming upon five in the morning, far too early for a teenager to be up at that time, but Yellowtail couldn’t contain his excitement. He had been speaking about it to Vidalia through the night, almost as soon as Sour Cream had agreed to it; he knew Onion always wanted to go with him whenever he left, but the boy was still too young to be out on the boat, especially so far out on the ocean.

Sour Cream hadn’t really been that interested in what his step-father did when he was away, but the teen had begun to change his thoughts on the matter. After discovering what Marty had planned for his concert – not the supportive avenue he had believed, but a quick scheme to promote some disgusting soda that no one liked or wanted – Sour Cream had finally come to the realization that his biological father just saw him as a potential meal ticket, the same way he had seen Mr. Universe as one, and that he saw his mother as a quick jaunt before heading to the next town.

Marty had never truly cared for him and it was hard for the teen to come to terms with that.

But his understanding of where his father’s priorities laid made it much easier for Sour Cream to grow closer to his step-father, the man who actually _did_ help raise him. As a child, he had always made a point to tell people that Yellowtail was his step-father and that his real father was the manager to a bunch of different musicians and rock stars, not an ordinary fisherman like the one his mother married.

Sour Cream had been quite proud that he had inherited his musical talents from Marty, imaging that one day his father would become his manager and they’d tour the world together as a father-son musical legacy. That dream had persisted until Marty, absent for nine years, had returned and showed his true colors; every promise that had been made on birthdays missed or complete lack of contact now made sense and it just drove the knife deeper in his heart.

Maybe that was why the teen had agreed to go out fishing with his step-father. While he had been grateful for Yellowtail’s presence in his mother’s life and the fisherman was a good father to his younger brother, Sour Cream had never truly felt close to the man. They had two different sets of outlooks and two different ideas of what Sour Cream’s life should be – DJ vs deckhand. The two had never truly seen eye to eye, at least not until recently, not until the fiasco with Marty.

This fishing trip was to start a little after dawn, far earlier than the teen would have wanted and something that was clear when Yellowtail shook him awake in what felt like an hour after he’d gone to bed. The light blonde haired boy groaned at being disturbed, his dream being interrupted by the constant shaking. He thought he recognized his step-father’s mumblings near his ear and he half-heartedly tried to swat the voice away; he was putting on one of his best gigs in Germany, the fans below him clamoring for more and something was distracting him, messing up his flow.

“Alright, alright,” he murmured, turning over in bed to make the shaking stop. Opening pale blue eyes, Sour Cream stared up at the tanned, blonde face of his step-father and groaned. “Can’t we do this later in the day?” he mumbled. “Like when there’s actual light outside?”

Yellowtail just smiled and reminded his step-son of their plans and how the earlier the better it is. It was on the tip of the teen’s tongue to just put off this trip, to tell the fisherman that he didn’t want to go, but as soon as he thought it, Sour Cream regretted it; he actually did want to spend time with the man and that meant having to get up at a ridiculous hour of the day to do so. Sighing, he nodded, waiting until Yellowtail to move back so he could get out of bed, the elder man patting him on the back as he passed to head into the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, the two were headed down towards the docks where Yellowtail kept his boat, a small fishing trawler. It was smaller than some of the other trawlers and boats that were stored there, but it was big enough that the blonde could stay comfortably when out at sea, as well as store the small speedboat he owned. The bottom of the boat had been painted white, with a black trim line going across the top; the boat’s cabin, which was a light blue to match the white trim, sat upon a wooden foundation that was fastened to the deck.

On the top was the masthead, along with the radar that helped Yellowtail navigate through the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Below the cabin was a small sleeping area, allowing the blonde fisherman to take a break and rest on those days of hard fishing. There was a small table and past that was two single beds in the case - or rather, the hope - that one of the boys would accompany him on one of this trips.

That dream seemed to be coming true as Yellowtail led his eldest towards the gangplank so they could board. Still groggy and not used to the dimness of the new day that was just starting, Sour Cream dragged alongside his step-father towards his fishing boat, beginning to regret agreeing to this, even though he had wanted to actually accompany his guardian.

The two stepped on to the deck, Yellowtail going about preparing the boat for departure, while Sour Cream stood and looked over the rail into the water below. The idea that he could be sleeping and then swimming once again hit him and he heaved a sigh as the fisherman called him over. As the captain and usual one man band of operations, Yellowtail took this opportunity to teach his step-son how to launch a boat from the dock, starting with starting the boat and venting the blower for a few moments.

The blonde patiently explained the reasons why, knowing that his step-son was still a bit groggy; Yellowtail wanted to make sure both boys knew how to operate a boat should they ever need to - especially in a coastal town like Beach City - and he didn’t want to move on until he was sure Sour Cream understood what he was telling him. For the teen, his body and mind were starting to come alive somewhat and he could get the gist of what the fisherman was telling him; he repeated the engine’s operation, both to show Yellowtail he had been listening and as a reminder for himself.

Yellowtail then went down the gangplank, telling Sour Cream to go around to the port side off the boat, while he approached the same area from below. Pointing to the mooring lines that held the boat to the dock, he showed the teen how to release them before using one of the ropes to climb back aboard. He then walked into the cabin, asking Sour Cream to keep a lookout as he backed the boat out and away from the dock and out onto the ocean.

The sun was now about midway in the sky, the time coming up to a little before six-thirty in the morning. Yellowtail had directed Sour Cream to stand at the helm, placing his hands on the correct position of the wheel, while he went down into the cabin proper. The teen was awake by then, his blue eyes keeping a vigil on the ocean waters before him and checking every few moments on his direction of the wheel. It was a little like driving, he felt, though he’d only driven his step-father’s truck a time or two.

Beach City was such a small and enclosed town that most establishments could easily be walked to. Only the warehouse where he occasionally threw raves and this super secluded mountain top ridge where Jenny said teens would drag race were the only places he truly could count on his hand as needing a car to get to. Not that Sour Cream minded walking; he enjoyed walking around the city when he was a child and that constant activity had led to his lanky frame, probably one of the few things he had inherited from his biological father.

Grumbled as he may have, Sour Cream couldn’t help but admire the view he was presented. The sun shone down on the water, creating a beautiful tapestry of colors that the teen wished his mother had been here, if just to get inspiration from the sight. Rehoboth Bay was the familiar lakeside splash zone, leading out into the Atlantic, where his step-father and his fathers before him had been drawn and were comfortable at.

He knew from hearing about the blonde’s adventures that the fishing was much better the further you got out into the ocean proper, with more schools of fish. Yellowtail had a particular area he used, something that seemed to be constantly populated, probably because of the casual fishing that was done by some of the other residents or travelers who’d come to the town during vacations and summer trips. His trade was to gather up these variety of seafood, selling them to the local fishery, which in turn sold them to the larger stores that delivered to all of Delmarva and even as far as Keystone.

Sour Cream really didn’t understand the lure of fishing, the concept of just sitting or standing for hours on end waiting for a fish to come by and take the proverbial bait, as it were. But then the teen had also come to realize that Yellowtail probably didn’t understand the lure of his DJing, the concept of just standing for hours on end with thumping beats playing in your ears. He had gotten a literal earful after a hearing test confirmed that he the symptoms of tinnitus or continued ringing in one’s ears, the end result of ear drum damage due to the loudness of the music surrounding him.

In fact, the very quiet of the morning, the slight breeze he could feel coming from the open doorway, and the swaying of the water had been uncomfortable at first, so used to hearing the running steps of his younger brother or his mother’s humming while she made breakfast, but after the first few minutes it actually felt calming in a way. The quiet was only disturbed when Yellowtail re-entered the cabin, both his hands holding steaming cups of coffee, and handed one to the teenager.

“Oh sweet,” he said, taking the cup gratefully and blowing across the top before taking a taste.

His surprise must have shown on his face because Yellowtail chuckled; the coffee was just the way he took it, mostly black but with a touch of honey for a little sweet mixed with the bitter. He had thought only his mother had been aware of how he took his coffee, even Sadie Miller over at the Big Donut had taken at least a few months to figure it out and her partner Lars Barriga always tried, but always put way more honey than he wanted, making Sour Cream pass the drink over to either Jenny or PeeDee Fryman whenever they went by Citywalk Fries.

Yellowtail handed over his own mug, replacing the teen at the wheel and pointing out a few things. He pointed to the seagulls that were headed towards the beach, hoping for a few easy marks that they could steal food from, off to the distance on the port side was the Chesapeake Bay, which held the lanes to and from Charm City, while directly to port they’d be coming up on Sea City and Aqua Town. Sour Cream hadn’t been to either, though he had passed by both on his way to a concert in Ocean Town once, before the ongoing fire that seemed to rage in the city for nearly a year.

Sour Cream stepped out of the main cabin and back onto the boat’s deck, turning to look back at the coastline of Beach City as they went further out. He could still see the shore and the boardwalk, as well as a few boats that were starting to come out into the water. During this time of year, some of the boat owners would volunteer to charter a few of the tourists around the area and back; many of those from the bigger cities or those from the west coast who weren’t used to being near or on the ocean, always looked forward to these little trips.

Ironically enough, even some of the residents from Charm City or Empire City would also come down, probably to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Sour Cream had once dreamed of headlining somewhere like Empire City or Vargas on the west coast, but after seeing his father again, the teen thought perhaps his life was better suited to a small town, like maybe he’d DJ in the big city and then live in a small town like Ocean Town or Sea City.

Turning from the sight of the boats in the distance, Sour Cream looked towards the cliff to his right; they must have past Bay Cave, as he couldn’t see the entrance from where they were located, but he did note a few speed boats going towards the area. The cave was one of the little interesting sights within the city – it had once been an actual side of the cliff side, but a cannonball during the battle of Beach City in the early 18th century created the cave.

This was of course the official story, the one that most of the history books registered outside of the city, however if one took a trip to the local library, the story remained similar – that the battle of Beach City was the reason for the cave, but the cause was based on just how long Steven Universe’s magical mother and aunts had lived in the area, which was far longer than both the male Universes had been alive.

The sun was starting to rise in the sky and Sour Cream didn’t feel as groggy has he had before, admitting to himself that this wasn’t too bad of a time to be up. Walking around to the front of the boat, Sour Cream gazed out at the ocean, the clear deep blue of the water and the horizon that framed it. It was a calm feeling – the slight breeze, the lingering sounds of the rolling waters, the smell of the salt in the air – and the teen could literally hear a constant thumping of a beat of a tune yet to be named.

Yellowtail took a place next to the teen only moments later, the boat sitting in idle as the captain decided to join the younger man. “Your dad used to do this, right?” Sour Cream asked, glancing at his step-father before turning away, though he caught the slight nod that answered the question. “Cool.”

Yellowtail explained how fishing was a family tradition. His father, uncle, and grandfather before them had been a fisherman, starting as a deck hand on a large fishing vessel, before moving to another vessel. He had been all over the east coast before saving up and buying his own boat.

It had been then that Yellowtail’s father had begun his own career as a deck hand, aboard his own father’s ship, moving up the ranks until he was the first mate. His uncle had then followed his older brother’s footsteps until he was the first mate for his captain brother. Yellowtail spoke of growing up on the sea essentially, learning about the different types of boats and ships, the different types of fish that weaved throughout the oceans of the world, and how to maneuver around a boat itself.

Sour Cream listened with surprising rapt attention; while he had known fishing was a family business so to speak for his step-father, he had no idea about the actual history that went into it. He had always thought a fish was a fish or a boat was a boat, he hadn’t really thought about any differences between them, but that same sort of energy one had when describing something they loved, something they were passionate about was clear on Yellowtail’s face as he spoke about the first time his father ever let him on his boat.

That same enthusiasm was how Sour Cream felt when he was on stage. That rush of the crowd, the feeling you got when the first beat dropped on the first song of a set, like it wrapped around you like a hug. How you could be one with the sounds, the tempo, the notes, the small little tweaks on sound and effect that made it just perfect; how you could close your eyes and see the thumping, thudding, and vibrations the music created…

The touch of his step-father’s hand on his shoulder startled the teen, before realizing where he was and that he had just said all of those thoughts out loud. But Yellowtail wasn’t looking at him as though he’d just said the craziest thing ever; in fact, the fisherman was looking at him as though he _understood_ , like while the topics were different, the _feelings_ were the same and completely, utterly relatable. Yellowtail was smiling at him, his blue eyes twinkling in merriment. Sour Cream couldn’t help but smile back.

For the first time, maybe ever, he seemed to be on solid ground with the man.

* * *

An hour and a half seemed like a long time to be out on a boat and fishing, or at least, that’s what Sour Cream had always imagined fishing to be. For the hour and half that he’d been out on this boat with Yellowtail, he’d found that his step-father’s profession was a lot harder than he’d thought.

Once the coffees had been refreshed and drunk, the sea captain began to show the teen how to work a commercial fishing ship. Yellowtail’s rig was much smaller than the large commercial ones that might supply places like Empire City, but he still observed many of the same practices on his boat.

The first thing he did was show Sour Cream where the safety equipment was, including the fire extinguisher, the first aid kit, and the three small life rafts he kept on board. His speedboat, which he kept at the back or the stern of the boat. While Sour Cream knew his way around a first aid kit – he had been a bit of a skater back in the day and certainly, his little brother got into scrapes from time to time – the teen didn’t know anything about being on a boat, despite living in a coastal town.

After showing him the safety measures, Yellowtail went right in one of the most important things of being a fisherman and that was navigating the boat and maintaining communication. These were two extremely critical portions of fishing, especially as a one man operation that was the blonde’s livelihood; Sour Cream knew about constellations and stars, but he hadn’t gone past anything other than thinking they were pretty.

Jenny had gotten into astrology at one point in high school, but that had quickly petered out after she discovered her soul mate had a possibility of being Ronaldo or worse, Kevin, and she had immediately stopped all activities involved with it. Kiki, by accessory, liked learning about the constellations and their history, but neither Pizza twin could tell the difference or spot new constellations in the sky.

Yellowtail pointed out the radio, as well as the navigational charts that he kept on the boat. Thankfully, technology had made finding your position and keeping in contact much easier and faster, but as the fisherman stated, it was important to remember how to use and read a chart, in case you’re out of range of radio and cell towers. He went on to describe on trip he was on, years ago, when both boys had been younger.

He had gone out as he usually did, packing everything he needed for a quick two or three day turn around. It should’ve been a quick trip, but a sudden storm had come in, knocking out communication between him and anyone nearby. Thankfully, Yellowtail had his charts, his compass, rules, and divider and knew how to use them and that’s what helped him get back on course, hitting the coast of Bayburg and quickly telephoning Vidalia.

Sour Cream remembered that incident; it had been several years ago, back when Onion had still been a baby and the teen was still getting used to the strange, fish man that suddenly lived in their house for much of the year. Yellowtail had only been supposed to be gone for two days, three tops, but when day four rolled into five, his mom had gotten worried, especially when she couldn’t seem to reach him.

The teen had never seen his mother so freaked out before, even when Onion had gotten into some of her art clay and tried to make a statue of himself using his little body as a canvas. Sour Cream remembered hoping that this meant Yellowtail wouldn’t come back, that maybe without him there, his real father might want to come visit or even better, stay longer than he usually did.

At the time, it was a high hope that Marty might discover that what he needed was there in Beach City, that his child was worth seeing. The last time Sour Cream had seen his biological father had been right before Onion had been born, with Vidalia making it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with the manager, but that he might want to make some sort of effort for their son.

Funny, until recently the teen had remembered that event much differently. He remembered his mother yelling at his father, his father being mad at Vidalia’s pregnancy, and both Marty and Yellowtail nearly coming to blows. Sour Cream had believed, or possibility made himself believe, that Marty was trying to see his son and this strange fish person was stopping him; that maybe he wanted to get back together with his mother so they could be a family, only to discover that she had already started a family with someone else.

The teen had desperately wanted to believe, wanted to hope that his father wanted him and would return. And when he did, they could travel together, a father-son team for the ages. Only that didn’t happen and Sour Cream was much older, wiser than his younger self. It didn’t stop him from hoping, however, especially when he saw the familiar body appear.

Yellowtail’s explanation of charts and using a compass brought the teen back to the present and he stared hard at the other blonde. He felt horrible about his previous thought now, knowing that it was only Yellowtail’s quick thinking and training that helped him get out of a situation many wouldn’t have been able to. Even with all the fishing trips, Sour Cream still saw him more than he did his own father and the blonde actually made a point of trying to spend time with him.

Like today.

Resolving himself to pay attention, Sour Cream promised he’d make the most of the day and pay back the man before him.

* * *

Three hours in their trip was when it happened.

Yellowtail hadn’t taken them far out, just enough to showcase some of the prime fishing areas for Beach City. He had gathered two standard fishing poles, one for each of them, and they had been sitting on the stern of the ship, talking and laughing about various things, when the crackle of the radio came to life.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday!”

“What is that?” asked the teen, turning in his chair and watching as his step-father stood and hurried into the cabin.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday!” continued the call. “We’ve struck something and are going down. Repeat, we are sinking! We have passengers onboard!”

Yellowtail was quick to action, grabbing up the mic, and responding to the call. He asked for the position of the boat, hastily learning that this was one of the tourist boats that routinely went out. The apparent captain was clearly not the actual person in charge, just the person who knew how to work a radio, and even his signaling for help was because he had seen them do it on TV. He was panicked, having never been on a boat before, and completely confused as to how they got into this particular predicament.

Sour Cream watched in awe as his step-father seemed to transform into…he didn’t know who, but obviously someone he had never seen before. Yellowtail barked out orders to the man over the radio, calmly but insistently trying to get a position as to where the actual boat was and its distance. Pausing from communication, Yellowtail called Sour Cream over, instructing him to ready all of the life rafts, as well as the speed boat.

The teen had barely placed a foot back on the deck when he felt his step-father turn the boat starboard, towards the cape where the tail of Delmarva jetted out, creating a cove into the Chesapeake Bay. Through the panic of the man on the other boat - whom was finally identified as Ian, one of the tourists on the boat who had taken charge after their own captain had apparently abandoned ship - both Yellowtail and Sour Cream were able to get a story out from the man as they rushed to the ship’s aid.

The boat, a small luxury yacht, was offering summer tourists a trip around the coastline, going from Beach City to the end of Delmarva and back again. It was usually a two hour trip, though it could be extended if passengers wanted to learn about some of the locales that were passed or if they wanted to stop. There was an extra charge for that and if enough passengers paid, the ship would make those stops and allowing for a quick stop at particular spot, usually Aqua Town, to let tourists shop along the shops on the boardwalk.

It was clear that Ian wasn’t sure what had happened to the boat, only that they heard a loud bang at the back of the boat, the boat’s owner went to check it and had never returned to the front of the boat, leaving at least fifteen passengers, some of them children, to fend for themselves. Ian had never been on a boat before, but knew how to work CB and ham radios, so he had been nominated to try and reach someone to help them.

Sour Cream went about gathering the life rafts and checking on the speed boat that was secured at the back of the larger vessel. Despite being a fairly levelheaded teen, Sour Cream found himself nervous and a little anxious; he certainly wasn’t expecting to be rescuing people from the sea when he decided to go on this trip. Looking over at Yellowtail, the teen couldn’t see any trepidation from the man nor any fear on his face, as though his duties as fisherman also included rescuing stranded passengers from yachting boats.

Standing, the teen returned to his step-father’s side within the boat’s cabin, looking out through the window to the wide open sea before them. As they sped back towards the coast, the two could see the outline of a boat in the distance. The back of the boat was partially submerged in the water, causing the front to begin lifting in the air as the ship took on water.

Despite the distance, Sour Cream could make out small figures on the port side, moving frantically; it was only once they were closer that he could definitively identify the figures as the passengers and their frantic movements were them waving their arms above their heads to signal for rescue. As soon as they began to get closer, Yellowtail directed the teen to begin unfurling the rafts and to start deploying them once he brought the boat alongside the sinking vessel.

Sour Cream did as directed, waiting until their boat had moved alongside the other, Yellowtail shouting instructions at the passengers, telling them to make their way towards the stern of the boat, making it easier for them to get into the rafts. Once inside, his son would pull them in towards their own boat; if any passengers were left onboard, Sour Cream was instructed to board the speed boat to assist those passengers.

The procession was slow, but successful, Yellowtail taking command and showcasing a calm that his step-son wasn’t sure he himself felt; however, the teen kept it together, especially for the children that were being escorted into the life rafts. He treated them the same way he treated his little brother, his soothing baritone stating that they would be alright and that they would be safe.

Most of the kids fits into one raft, though two of them decided to stay close to their parents, frightened by the experience and not wanting to be in the water any longer then they needed to be. Thankfully, most of the passengers were okay, however four had sustained injuries when trying to discover what the noise had been and discovered that their motor had pretty much exploded, catching fire. Three of the four had tried to battle the fire, surprised to find that the yacht didn’t have any fire extinguishers and having to use some of the water, which thankfully did help, but they had been burned or had inhaled some of the smoke while doing so.

Thinking quickly, Yellowtail placed Sour Cream in charge of first aid duty to those that needed it, while keeping Ian as the person to keep the passengers calm. They were too far out to head back to Beach City, not that it would do any good; they didn’t have a medical facility in the town, the closest being Ocean Town, which was still at least an hour away. Making a decision, Yellowtail put the boat on course towards Charm City, the bigger city in the area and the one with the bigger hospital.

The first aid kit wouldn’t completely heal the burns the three passengers suffered, but it would at least start the healing process until they reached their destination. Sour Cream had gotten Ian involved in entertaining and encouraging the kids onboard, helping to relieve their - and their parents’ - fears; once finished with his duty, he joined his father at the helm, questioning what their next move was.

Through the entire event, Sour Cream never saw his step-father falter in his stance and presence. Yellowtail handled the whole thing was a relative calm that the teen was used to, issuing directives to him, Ian, and the others to inform them of the situation without causing even more panic. A strange feeling came over the teen as he glanced at his step-father, something he had been feeling more and more lately and it was only now that he recognized what it was.

Respect.

Sour Cream knew what the concept was, he certainly respected, admired, and cherished his mother; he admired and respected his best friend Buck Dewey, not just because he was a pretty cool dude, but he held a wisdom that many people weren’t privy to; he admired and respected Greg and Steven Universe and their weird little alien family, not just because they happened to save the town every time something strange went down, but they were just cool and nice people.

The teen had once believed he had felt respect and admired Marty, his biological father, but recent events had shown that the feelings weren’t returned and maybe never had been. Yellowtail, his strange fisherman step-father, _had_ returned those feelings, even when he didn’t understand his step-son and suddenly, the teen realized that in some ways, he had always felt this way, but the looming figure of Marty had stood in the way of that, his loyalty between his birth father and his step-father confusing him.

Throughout the new course towards Charm City, Sour Cream reflected on this new dynamic that had formed in just a day it seemed, but in reality, it had always been there; it was something he should’ve embraced earlier in their relationship, but hadn’t. That was going to change, especially after today.

The trip to Charm City actually didn’t take as long as the teen thought it would or perhaps the renewed spirits of their extra passengers made the trip seem a lot faster than normal. Ian had gotten some of the children into a playful game, something that Sour Cream helped along by playing a bass beat, a distraction that helped the others calm from their previous experience.

By the time the boat arrived at the small dock, ambulance personnel were already waiting, hurrying towards the dock to bring passengers ashore. A few pedestrians who were loitering around offered to take those passengers who were okay back to Beach City, an option that Yellowtail pushed his step-son towards. “Are you sure?” the teen asked. “You don’t want me to stay?”

Yellowtail smiled and gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. Stating that Sour Cream should be enjoying the summer sun, the fisherman replied that he would stay and accompany the ambulance to answer any questions. The teen hesitated for a moment, but a playful push towards a nearby pedestrian who was waiting to take people back. Giving his step-father a grateful nod, Sour Cream turned and approached the driver.

He was a man in his early thirties, with sandy brown hair and dressed in a simple suit. He was driving a light colored sedan, which already held two passengers in the backseat and he was waiting to see if anyone else wanted a ride. Sour Cream met him at the passenger door, thanking the man for the lift and getting in, while the man went to the driver’s side and began to start the car.

Sour Cream watched as his step-father spoke to one of the EMTs on the scene, most likely describing how he was involved in the incident. Yellowtail nodded to the woman, turning slightly until his eyes met those of the teen sitting in the car; he again smiled, nodding once to signal that everything was going to be okay.

“That your dad?” the driver asked, looking at the blonde fisherman as he followed one EMT towards the ambulance. “He seems like a really good guy.”

As a child, Sour Cream had always made a point to tell people that Yellowtail was his step-father; today was the first time he truly thought of him as more than that.

“Yeah,” the teen replied, a proud smile on his face. “He is.”


	3. A Doctor A Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the course of a day, Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran saves many lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite working in a hospital and being the daughter of a nurse, I unfortunately am not a ER or trauma doctor. Any info was taken from research, so if anyone is or knows a ER doc, please let me know if my information is off.
> 
> I've also taken Doug's Indian name from the series [Hell or High Water](https://archiveofourown.org/series/325169) by heelsandarrows. It's centered around Doug and Priyanka and their early years, so definitely recommended if you like reading and knowing more about the Maheswarans.

“It’s been quite a day, Durja.”

Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran sat down wearily in the chair behind her desk, one hand massaging the spot between her eyes while the other held the cell phone to her ear. She was taking a well-deserved break, one that actually afforded her the ability to finally sit down after being on her feet for at least ten of the fourteen hours she was required to be at the hospital.

Priya was covering for Dr. Herbert Stromberg, one of the head ER and trauma doctors at Charm City Medical Center. CCMC, or just CMC, was one of – if not _the_ – largest hospitals in the small suburb and perhaps in all of Delmarva; the hospital was known for some of its state of the art medical equipment and grant funding, despite sometimes falling short in some of the more important items – like working stethoscopes. It was a good hospital, with a good working staff and knowledgeable doctors, and an environment that Priya could enjoy working in.

In the last few years, that was starting to become an incredibly important thing for her family. While she had always known that Connie hated when they had to move away, she had never realized just how much moving had hurt her daughter until they were in that very hospital nearly two years and Priya had come face to face with how much she had been missing from her only child’s life.

The very fact that she had completely missed Connie’s training in swords and seemingly curing of her nearsightedness was a very hard blow to the image the doctor deeply felt as a mother; she had prided herself on knowing everything about her daughter’s life, right down to the exact pages she went to when using the Internet, but nothing had ever prepared her watching as her daughter wielded a large pink sword and took out two strange, dismembered beings that had found their way into her hospital.

These days Priyanka was far more trusting and understanding of what Connie was doing with Steven and his family; for example, earlier in the month, she had agreed to allow Connie to depart the planet Earth in order to rescue Steven. The young boy had apparently given himself up to some…aliens, or at least the same species as the Gems themselves, who had been going around abducting the citizens of Beach City.

With her only child out of the house and off-world, both Priyanka and Doug had decided to keep their minds occupied and off of the fact that Connie had been gone for nearly a month and they had no idea what was happening to her; the best way to do that was to pick up the extra hours they could, allowing them the time off if…well, the best case was to spend more time with their daughter.

It went unspoken the worst case scenario.

To help alleviate the constant thought of the dangers Connie might be encountering, both Priyanka and Doug had decided to take on some extra shifts; for Priya, keeping busy meant all the horrific thoughts and ideas about what Connie was experiencing couldn’t exactly intrude on her work. Stromberg was a trauma doctor, a specialist in the field, but he tended to work double duty in the emergency room, having the previous experience as an EMT in his younger years.

Priyanka mainly specialized in pulmonary, however thanks to their constant moves around the country, the doctor ultimately managed to cover several areas within hospitals she worked in. For a few years, she shadowed in internal medicine, finding cardiology to be a perfect complement to her specialty and allowing her to invest more into trying to get her patients to take better care of themselves. That was main driving reasons to making sure that her own child ate a well-balanced diet, void of the unhealthy habits many often take up in their adolescence.

Priya had arrived at CMC a little before eight o’clock in the morning, entering her office and setting up for the day. There had been a picture of her and her family, but seeing Connie every day when she couldn’t physically see her daughter made looking at the image difficult, so Priya had ultimately placed the picture in her desk drawer, hoping that she’d be able to take it and look it without the feelings of fear whenever she looked at it.

Stromberg was at a conference that week, with a few days of vacation adding to the extension of his travel, leaving Priya and Dr. Harmon West as the main coverage for the man. West was a brilliant surgeon, specializing in cardiac and vascular surgery, and he would taking over from the Indian woman once her shift was over around 10pm. The start of the day had been fairly routine – she had her own patients to see, checking in on some residents who had been inpatients for the week, as well as others coming in for standard ailments.

However, once the hour of nine o’clock came about, the emergency room seemed to jump to life. It started with a near fatal accident on the highway going out of the city itself, five persons involved, three with minor injuries and the other two in serious condition; thankfully, all parties involved would be alright, if not a bit battered and bruised. For the latter two, they would need to stay in the hospital for a time, but the outlook was positive.

Next was a construction accident, where a heavy metal pillar had become dislodged and fell fifteen feet onto the ground below, injuring three of the workers there. One was able to walk away with a broken arm, but one worker had been hit by the pillar, causing internal damage and a few broken ribs. Again, thankfully, they would be alright after some time.

The next case was the hardest.

A teenage boy had been doing a very dangerous stunt to impress his friends, which resulted in his death. He was fifteen, just two years older than her own daughter and only one year removed from her daughter’s best friend; he held a youthful face, giving him the look that he was just in a deep sleep. Apparently, he had hit the ground hard, hitting his head and sadly, even when in the ambulance and rushed into the ER, he never regained consciousness.

Try as she might, Priya couldn’t help but think back to a few months ago, during Connie’s trial to become an official member of the Crystal Gems. She and Doug had watched as she battled water clones, a terrifying monster, and her own thousands of years trained instructor and they had both stood up, demanding that the entire thing end. She had boldly claimed that they would remove Connie from this incredibly high stakes, dangerous environment, only to be met with Greg Universe’s rebuttal of the life Connie had led before.

Connie had been lying to them, hiding all of these activities, and her parents had no idea until Priya had come face to face with her daughter’s new life. Her young, bright, intelligent child had always longed for friends and up to that moment, Priya hadn’t truly worried about the impact their constant moves did to hinder that ability to make friends. Looking at this young boy, deceased before her, his young life snuffed out all because he longed to be accepted.

She had met the parents and family in the waiting room, had brought them to another room in order to deliver that horrible news. His so-called friends all admitted that they had dared the young man to do what he did, none of them thinking of the dangers or consequences of their actions. The doctor very nearly scolded them all, before reminding herself that this could be her and Doug; this _could’ve_ been her and Doug. In another life, they may have been on the receiving end of this talk, learning that their daughter had been harming herself or taking drugs or something far worse, just so she could fit in and keep the very small list of friends she hoped to have.

It was ironic, really; one day soon, Priyanka feared that she and Doug would be in this position, however it would be Steven or one of the Gems telling them that Connie had been killed.

That thought alone nearly tempted her to call out, to flee from the troubling thoughts she had tried very hard not to think about.

Within a quick succession, more patients arrived, this time three passengers from one of the tourist boats coming out of Beach City. Upon hearing that, Priya was the first arrive, fearful that she would find Steven or Connie or both waiting for her in the ER. It wasn’t, thank god, but there were three badly burned men being rushed in, their injuries acquired as they desperately tried to put out a fire on their boat. Priya treated all three, words of advice on the tip of her tongue as she did so, when one of the nurses beat her to it, getting a complete story of what happened. That’s when she learned that a blonde, bearded fisherman had helped to rescue these passengers, who had been abandoned by their own boat captain.

The doctor had bristled at that, learning that the captain and whatever crew there had been had quickly fled their post, leaving their passengers to fend for themselves. She was at least happy in learning that the local police and coast guard were out looking for them, with some of the passengers mentioning that they would be pressing charges once they were found. The blonde captain, the one who had come to the rescue, had also arrived at the hospital and began to explain the situation as best as he was aware of it.

It took Priya a few moments to discover why the man seemed familiar to her, before she realized that he bore a resemblance to the strange young boy she had met at Connie’s birthday party. She didn’t spend enough time in Beach City to know what the name of the captain was or even the name of the boy – she remembered both he and his brother made her want to have an unhealthy bag of chips – but she did manage to thank him for his quick arrival and decision to come to their aid.

The rest of the day was split between covering Stromberg’s patients and her own, reviewing charts for those that were inpatients and signing off for those that could go home without incident. The ER kept her busy for most of the day, though thankfully she only encountered the one death, surprising seeing as she was working the ER.

It was a little after six in the evening when Priya finally got to sit down in her office, the prospect of dinner lulling her into the room with a salad and some tea. Doug had also elected to take some extra shifts, meaning that they would miss each other during the week, but it was something they had been used to in their young days. Giving herself the hour to just sit and eat, she grabbed her cell phone from the purse in her drawer, quickly checking if she had missed any messages.

As before, there was nothing from Connie or Steven, which was either very good or very bad. Turning on the laptop on her desk, she quickly gave Doug a call, simultaneously opening her work email to see if there was anything that needed her attention. Her husband answered on the third ring, one ring more than he normally did, but his voice sounded calm and not distressed. “Hey sweetheart,” he greeted. “How goes it?”

Priya sighed before she started with, “It’s been quite a day, Durja.”

She described the day she’d had so far, including the young man who had died before her. This of course wasn’t the first time she had seen death and certainly not the first she’d seen the death of a child, but previously she’d been able to distance herself from the situation, removing the emotion and thoughts of this being her own child. She confided in her husband.

“It was just so sad, Doug,” she sighed, warily. “He was barely older than Connie and all I could think of was…what if that had been her? And weirdly enough, I actually thought how grateful I was that in reality our daughter was in outer space helping to rescue her friend from the clutches of intergalactic dictators.”

Doug chuckled on the other line. “I know, Priya,” he said. “I’m…not exactly excited about all of this, but I’ve also never seen Connie so happy, even if it means she’s constantly putting herself in danger.”

“Why couldn’t she have just stuck to tennis?” the doctor asked.

“She did,” Doug said, smiling. “But I understand what you mean. Look at it this way, sweetheart, she’s with people who will protect her and I truly do believe that if anything had happened, the Gems or Steven would’ve contacted us by now.”

“It’s been a month, Durja,” she insisted. “They never said it would take a month!”

“They never told us how long it _would_ take.”

Again, Priyanka sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. She _still_ wasn’t onboard with all of the things Connie had relayed to them in terms of her friendship with Steven and her duty as a Crystal Gem, but she was trying, very hard, to ensure that her relationship with her daughter did not go the route that it had been. She didn’t want Connie to lie and sneak around behind them like she had been, but finding out the whole truth was more than maybe she had expected or even was prepared for.

“Know when you’ll be home later?”

Doug’s question snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to look at the clock that hung on the side wall. “Another four hours yet,” she replied. “When do you start?”

“I’m heading out right now,” he stated. “It should take me about thirty minutes or so to get there.”

“Where are you tonight?”

“Sea City,” he said. She could hear him grabbing the keys for his patrol car before heading out towards the garage. “I’ve been through, but never on patrol. Dispatch said they’ve been having a rash of petty burglaries lately, so one of the office buildings wants to have someone to keep a look out.”

“Well,” Priya said. “Be careful.”

Though Doug was just a hired security guard, there was still an inherent danger in the job. You never knew what type of person you would run into and as a doctor, Priya had seen the aftermath of a few law enforcement officers come in due to gunshot trauma. It especially worried her as Doug only equipped himself with a flashlight, nothing at all that could withstand the onslaught of a danger individual who may not take kindly to someone stopping them. The strange thing was, Doug always felt as though he didn’t measure up next to his doctor wife and his now adventure having daughter.

“I usually am,” came the chuckle

“I’m serious, Durja,” Priya said, quietly. “Please be careful.”

The tone of her voice, while usually serious, held a certain amount of fear and trepidation. It was bad enough that her daughter was going through who knew what right then, she couldn’t take the image of her husband being brought in as the victim of a robbery gone wrong.

“I will,” he whispered. “Main tumase pyaar karata hoon aur main hamesha tumhaare paas aata hoon.” She heard the sound of the car door opening and the start of the engine. “I gotta go,” Doug continued. “I’ll see you later possibly, but don’t wait up. I know you have an early shift tomorrow.”

“Main hamesha intajaar karoonga,” she replied back. “I’ll see you when you get home. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Bye sweetheart.”

Priyanka listened to the sound of the disconnection before pulling the phone from her ear. Placing the phone back into her purse, she turned back to her half eaten salad, but discovered she no longer held an appetite. She knew she shouldn’t worry – both Doug and Connie had always been careful in the past, both carrying the Maheswaran spoken code of always believing in safety to heart, but she just couldn’t help it.

Her life was strangely different than it had been just a few short years ago and while some of those changes had been good, the overall situation was still something she had to contend with.

“Dr. Maheswaran to ER. Dr. Maheswaran, please head to the ER.”

The sound of her name over the loudspeaker meant she was once again back into doctor mode. Quickly covering her near forgotten salad, Priya put herself back into her role for the day and headed out of her office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation - 
> 
> "Main tumase pyaar karata hoon aur main hamesha tumhaare paas aata hoon.” - _I love you and I'll always come back to you_
> 
> “Main hamesha intajaar karoonga.” - _I will always wait up_


	4. To Catch a Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doug Maheswaran tracks down a thief with the help of an unexpected partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted what makes a person decide to be a security guard. Like, are they people that wanted to be in law enforcement or something different? I couldn't find the answer, so I kinda made one up for Doug.
> 
> Obviously, if you are or know someone who is a security guard, let me know their reasons. I am very interested to know.
> 
> Also, a language advisory, but nothing too bad.

Durjan Maheswaran had always wanted to be a cop.

Well, not really a cop, a detective. Since childhood, Doug – as most had called him once he came to America – had idealistic dreams of becoming a detective like the ones he saw on television. Immigrating from India with his family to the US, Doug had been exposed to even more stories and mysteries than he had as a child. Of course his parents had wanted him to go into something less dangerous and Doug certainly had other options he considered when it came to pursuing a career, but the small kernel of interest was always with him.

Doug had actually started his career in information technology, investing in the increasing boom of computers and the internet that seemed to be sweeping the country and the world. Doug had graduated with a computer science degree, stating an interest in networking and security when it came to computers and had actually gotten started at a small computer shop. At the time, cyber security protocols were extremely lax and the idea of viruses, data breaches, and other things were far removed from the lexicon of today.

But still Doug enjoyed his time there, becoming a PC technician for the clientele of the company. It was actually as a PC technician that he had happened upon a young, determined doctor by the name of Priyanka Nayar, who had just completed her residency and was serving in a small local hospital. Doug had been smitten immediately, Priyanka not so much, but their paths crossed enough times that the former finally found the courage to ask out the latter.

It was during their relationship that Doug had discovered one of the security guard companies in the area was hiring and after a very long discussion with both his girlfriend and family, the young man decided to start the training to become one. Being a security guard certainly wasn’t as glamourous as television and movies made them out to be, but it was a position that allowed Doug to fulfill his dream of working in law enforcement.

Granted, his training was for unarmed conflict, but when you date a doctor, the need to pursue a career in which you will shoot or be shot at tends to drop dramatically. It wasn’t the action that Doug craved, well not all action, it was the clues and mystery of being on a case, observing the landscape, and anticipating where prospective danger _could_ be. The role of a security guard, especially one that was unarmed, was to prevent and circumvent any illegal activity without getting into the kind of scrapes Priya saw as the aftermath.

Certainly when Doug and Priya had gotten married and when they discovered they were expecting, the idea of security guard was a much better option than police detective; while Doug went through training, he still worked on IT as a side, ensuring they would have enough money to cushion themselves with a new baby. Tech work, while fun in most cases, could also be stressful - as the computer age continued to grow, with more and more people, businesses, and governments using them, Doug found himself busier than ever, which meant less time to spend with his now growing family.

IT was great for financial reasons, allowing for Priya to find her footing as a doctor and supporting them when they welcomed a red faced Kahaani into the world in April, but once they had settled into a routine and their finances were straight, Doug decided to bite the proverbial bullet and switched from IT to law enforcement. On one hand, it was a good move for the time and he managed to find a very good company to work for – they were contracted with many local and statewide businesses, corporations, and government facilities who needed both armed and unarmed personnel.

On the other hand, because of this, it means that the company needed people in several cities and several states, which often meant the little family had to move around constantly. It worked out for Priyanka, who was able to take prestigious positions at bigger and better hospitals and it worked for Doug who was able to command help in moving costs, as well as bonuses and higher wages depending on the new city or state.

The downside of course was that one person was lost in the shuffle – Kahaani.

The constant moves meant they never truly settled down in one place, meaning that the girl, who like her father started going by the Anglicized version of her name, never really got to make any close friends and often ended up spending most of her time alone. And because many of these moves had been within big cities, the dangers to Doug had also increased; once, he had actually gotten stabbed by a shoplifter who was desperately trying to escape with their purchases.

Luckily, it wasn’t a bad wound – just five stitches or so – but it was enough for Priya to decide that the next place they moved to would need to be on a small, less dangerous scale. And that was how the little family had found themselves moving to the suburb of Charm City. Despite the name, the city wasn’t as large as say Empire City, but it was big enough to be counted as larger than the coastal towns that were thirty minutes or so to the east. Doug’s security firm had just opened a new location in the city, specializing their services to the smaller towns on the coast, allowing the family to hopefully stay there for a longer amount of time.

It was a random coincidence that Connie happened to enjoy going to a little place called Beach City during her weekends and over the summer. There was a bus route that went directly there, there were more boats in the harbor, and the boardwalk seemed to have more unique stylings than that of Ocean Town.

And then one day she was saved by a curly haired boy and his giant pink bubble.

As crazy as their lives were now, Doug could never consider leaving their quiet little hamlet, not when it meant that his kuttimaa was happier than he had ever known her to be. He and Connie were very close, often spending their time together watching outlandish sci-fi movies or anime on the weekend or when Priya had to work a late shift. He had always been the more lenient parent when it came to her, so while internally he was always worried about her well-being, especially with the Universe boy, he also trusted her enough to know how to get herself out of danger.

It was that trust that helped both parents watch their daughter walk out of their home and go off into space to rescue said boy; Doug hadn’t outright admitted it, but it wasn’t the dangerous adventures that worried him so much as the fact that Connie seemed to devote herself to Steven. She was nearly at his beck and call on her off days from school and her presence at his beach house seemed to grow in the last few years.

To be honest, Doug did like the boy – who wouldn’t, really? – but he was still worried about this relationship between them; yes, they were best friends and there was certainly nothing wrong with having friends of the opposite gender, but the signs were clearly there that these two had the potential of going further than that.

It was one thing to go about protecting the Earth, but dating? That was a prospect that Doug didn’t look forward to, even if his daughter ended up just dating one boy. The fact that her recent birthday party had showcased just how _many_ boys she knew had brought that unholy nightmare to the forefront.

That had been months ago and since then, he and Priya had been bereft of their little girl’s presence for the same amount of time. Doug tried to keep up the hope that no news was good news, but he certainly didn’t tell his wife some of the nightmares that had entered his mind those first few days after her departure.

By mutual agreement, the two had decided the best way to keep themselves busy and keep their minds off what might be happening with their only child, both picked up extra shifts at their perspective jobs. For Doug, that meant taking shifts that weren’t in their little hamlet of Charm City; his security company, though based in the city, actually tended to get more requests from those sleepy towns outside the larger population.

On one hand, it was a bit disappointing that he came home so late, unable to see either his wife or daughter off to bed. In many cases, he made it home just as Priya was heading to bed, tired after a long day at the hospital. Connie was already in bed, her own day met with either studying and working on homework or tired from her own adventures. On the other hand, Doug got to visit a lot of the area that he may not have.

Take tonight for instance – his employer had assigned him to patrol the property of a retail shop in the town of Sea City. The town was small, with a population of under a hundred people, but still held a type of busy feel during the day that reminded Doug a little of the small townhomes of Empire City. There were a lot more shops, entertainment, and hotels than that of Beach City, but those were mostly for the tourists who came to visit. Situated on the coast, Sea City was only a few minutes away from Steven’s home and about fifteen minutes from Aqua Town.

Doug liked these little small towns, even though they mostly all looked alike, but they all had personality and a uniqueness that made them quaint places to not only live, but visit. Sea City at night held the same visual beauty as Empire City, but without the heavy footfalls of thousands of people; the boardwalks were brightly shining with multicolored lights and live music that came from the musicians that lived there.

Come Sea Me was a popular retail shop, selling all manner of clothing, toys, and accessories, with most dedicated to coastal life and the city itself; it had great knick-knacks for the traveler visiting and wanting a souvenir from their trip, while also giving off a local pride for the city’s residents.

Doug’s shift didn’t start for thirty-minutes, which allowed him to speak with the owner and employees about what incidences they may have experienced; it also gave him the ability to shop in the little store, the owner allowing him to take home an item for Connie in thanks for coming out to help them. The store hadn’t experienced a break-in, but there were shops a few blocks away that _had_ been, hence why they had hired Doug’s company.

CSM closed at eight-thirty, though they did allow for stragglers to finish their shopping before they closed the doors completely. The remaining employees counted the till, logged off their registers, and said goodbye to the manager and owner as they continued the closing of the store. That took another fifteen minutes or so, with both locking up and saying goodbye to each other, before nodding to Doug, who sat in his patrol car across the street.

It took a certain type of person to sit in one place for several hours, especially when the scenery didn’t change much. Being a security guard, especially a patrolling one, meant you couldn’t exactly bring a book or a video game with you to pass the time; well, you could, however it would mean that you might miss something that might be going on. Doug had always been hyper observant, enjoying the times he could people watch while on lunch or during downtime, hence why the opportunity to put those skills to use was too good to ignore.

On many of these nights, Doug’s duties were pretty standard – he’d start his shift keeping a look out of the area while sitting in his car. After about an hour or so, he’d get out to walk around, allowing him to stretch his legs and check for things around the area on foot. Depending on the size of the area, that might take him some time to do a patrol before he would head back to his car and do a drive-by to see the landscape as a whole.

After his drive-by, he’d start the routine all over again, with a few adjustments. While in his car, the Indian man usually made his obligatory phone call to his wife, checking to ensure that everything was fine at home – Priya would tell him how her day went before regaling him with the new adventure their daughter had gone on. He couldn’t lie, he did feel a little inferior, sitting there in his car, watching as the trees swayed in the wind, as insects and bugs scurried about, watched the lights on the bay twinkle and dance. All the while, his wife and daughter were doing incredible things, like saving people’s lives on a daily or biweekly basis.

Connie did try to give him an uplifting pep talk after finding Steven’s little friend in the amusement park and while that helped, it still wasn’t the same thing, in the same vein. Priyanka was saving lives, Connie was saving the world, and all Doug was doing was…saving property values or something. Maybe. Yes, in the scheme of things, Doug was saving businesses from being robbed or vandalized, but that was more about scaring off some bored teenager than actually doing anything of significance.

And that’s pretty much how his night was going.

At least until he saw the two suspicious shadows go around the shop corner. At first, he thought his eyes might be playing tracks on him; it wouldn’t be the first time the lighting in the area created things that weren’t actually there, but Doug would be a pretty crappy guard if he didn’t actually check things out.

Opening his car door, he shone his flashlight at the area, a small alleyway that separated Come Sea Me with their next door neighbors. Doug couldn’t see anything from where he was, so he immediately stepped back in order to close the door, before going around the car and crossing the street. “Hello?” he called. “This is security! You’re trespassing on private property.”

He stopped to listen for a moment, not hearing anything and wondering if it had indeed been his imagination. However after about five minutes, he heard something coming from the back of the store and he continued on. “Security!” he called again, this time hearing a scuffle at the back and what sounded like a door being opened or closed. Sprinting down the alley, Doug turned the corner, only to be knocked back and nearly landing on the ground.

Whatever knocked into him was clearly running away, the sound of two sets of runners heading out on the sidewalk. “Stop!” Doug shouted, adjusting himself and taking off after whatever or whoever had run into him. The runners were right in front of him, running down the semi-deserted sidewalk, turning left at the first corner they encountered, the Indian man hot on their trail.

* * *

SpyderWeb was a small web design startup in Sea City with a total staff of about twenty locally and five employees globally. The company had been in business for about eight years, past the point of startup level, however they still operated with that mentality, keeping the company and staff humble and modest about their work and ethics.

Sheena Murphy, a new transplant from Empire City, worked as one of their designers and programmers for the company, working with three others – two programmers and another designer – on building and designing websites for other small companies who were just getting their foot in the door online or needing to revamp their sites for a more modern aesthetic. Normally, the young woman split her time between coming into the office and working from home; today had been one of her in-office days, especially when a meeting with a new client was scheduled and all hands had been on deck.

The work was extensive and while Sheena would’ve preferred to work the rest of the day out of her home, the muse was bubbling with ideas and she hadn’t wanted to lose any on the way home, so she ended up staying until the day went into night. Thankfully, the majority of the day had been spent working on wireframes for the new website, but the last three hours was spent speaking with their web developer overseas, describing to him what would be needed for the new site.

Because of that, Sheena was just now leaving the office after everyone else had left. It was quiet and peaceful and if not for the time, the pink haired woman had considered staying if just to avoid the quiet and emptiness of her own apartment. It had been one month since she had seen her beautiful alien girlfriend and while the first week or two was met with assurances that she was fine, as the days went by, Sheena began to truly worry if she would ever see the little bad ass again.

Pearl had gone on her own epic quest to save the boy who was like a son to her, Steven having been kidnapped and possibly taken back to their home world where horrible things might have been done to him. The gem had warned her that it might take some time and Sheena had given her own assurance that she was more than happy to wait for the thin alien’s return. That hadn’t wavered in the month she had been gone and it had given Sheena time to think about their relationship.

Neither had outright stated just what their relationship was, but Sheena wanted that relationship to grow, hopefully deeper than the ones she’d had previously. With Pearl gone, the pink haired young woman had decided that she wanted to continue seeing Pearl, making a solid commitment to her, and had hoped that the former renegade would want the same thing.

That was why she was spending a large amount of time at work – though she had come to a decision about her relationship with Pearl, it came with all of the BS and baggage that came about when she realized that she was falling in love with someone. She knew Pearl had her own issues – the name Rose Quartz hovered above everyone involved like an unwanted rain cloud of disappointment, disillusionment, and pain – and Sheena would need to know just how deeply down the rabbit hole Pearl wanted to go before she let her own issues cloud whatever happiness they might have.

It was that mindset, along with thoughts of a late dinner and some mindless binge watching, that carried Sheena out onto the sidewalk of the building and locking the door behind her, her laptop bag slung over her shoulder and her travel mug dangling from her left hand. She had just turned and taken three of the five steps that took her from the door to her bike that was parked on the side of the curb when she was literally runned over by...well, she wasn’t sure.

At least not until she had looked up.

This of course was after she had gotten pushed into her bike, which she barely managed to not tip over, though she couldn’t say the same about her laptop nor her coffee mug; both went flying over the bike and landed hard on the gravel behind. Turning her head to the left, fire in her eyes, she watched the fleeing figures of two soon to be dead teenagers.

And with that in mind, she immediately growled in anger and took chase after them, not realizing she was joining a chase that was already in progress.

Sheena and her mysterious running mate continued chasing their suspects down the sidewalk and into the nearby shopping center, which held far more shops than the boardwalk fare, but was still small enough that it was more of an extension. Both Sheena and an Indian man she didn’t recognize spurted to a stop upon entering the intersection of the center, looking both left and right to find their prey.

“There they are!” she shouted, pointing to the right. The two culprits were hurriedly walking through a connecting side corridor and it was only one of the boys looking back that the two quickly went through. Sheena and the Indian man continued their pursuit, reaching the corridor and once again stopping. The long hall/alley way held the back entrances to some of the stores, as well as maintenance and delivery areas, providing a perfect cover for someone to hide in.

“Miss,” the Indian man whispered. “This could be dangerous, so I suggest you go back to where you were and call in the proper authorities. I can handle this, I’m a security guard.”

“That’s great,” Sheena whispered back. “But I’m the daughter of a former police chief, I’ve been trained in Krav Maga for six years, and I teach kickboxing. If anything dude, you might be the one in danger here. Do you even have a gun or anything?”

The Indian man bristled, before stating, “No, I don’t. And not everything needs to be a confrontation that escalates into violence.”

“Well, this is obviously a case where someone needs to get their asses kicked.”

The two walked silently down the corridor, looking on both sides of them, but not seeing or hearing anything around them. “Hey man,” the pink haired woman murmured. “As long as we’re partnering up, we should probably know who we are. Especially when you’ll probably need to get my statement on how these a-holes most likely broke my laptop and nearly destroyed my bike before I beat the ever loving shit out of them.

“Name’s Sheena.”

“Doug,” replied the man. “I’m pretty sure these guys broke into a store I was patrolling, so for obvious reasons, I’d like to apprehend them.”

“Shouldn’t you call into your people or something?” asked Sheena. “So they know you’ve got two suspects cornered at the shopping center? Just because you aren’t packing doesn’t mean _they_ aren’t.”

Doug thought about that momentarily, realizing the woman was correct. That same scenario had happened with the shoplifter he’d encountered, the one that had tried to stab him. While he hadn’t seen any weapons on the two, it didn’t mean they _didn’t_ have any and as Sheena had pointed out, he was out of his league in the case they _did_ have a weapon. Stopping quickly, he reached into his jacket to pull out his cell phone and quickly sent a text message to his supervisor and his replacement, letting them know the situation and telling them to contact the police.

“I sent word of what was happening and where we were,” he came back saying. “That was totally a rookie mistake. I should’ve done that from the beginning.”

“Rookies are prone to mistakes,” Sheena whispered back.

“But that’s just it,” he hissed in frustration. “I’m _not_ a rookie; I’ve been doing this for years, so I should know better about running after hardened criminals without notifying someone. My family is all about being safe, especially now with...well, we’ve got some stuff going on, but I should know better.”

“Sitting and watching people pass by is different from actually pursuing them.”

“You knew what to do.”

“Again,” Sheena stated, sending a grin to the man. “Dad’s a cop, so I pretty much grew up around cops. I even wanted to be one for a time before I changed my mind.”

“Really?” Doug asked, excitedly. Very few people he had met wanted to pursue the same dream that he’d once had. “Me too. I…”

His comment was immediately halted upon hearing what sounded like a pebble being kicked against the wall. It was coming only a short distance from them, possibly in the alcove that was just ahead. At that same moment, Doug’s phone buzzed in his pocket and a quick look showed that his texts had been received and law enforcement were on their way to his location.

Without saying a word, Doug nudged the pink haired woman to show her the text, nodding at her nod of acknowledgement. Sheena took a few steps towards the wall, flattening herself against it, and then giving the Indian man another nod. “This is Inland Security! Come out with your hands up! Do not resist and come peacefully.”

Nothing happened for about a minute and then a flurry of activity happened. One of the cornered teenagers popped out of the alcove, ready to strike Doug with what looked like one of the objects that had been stolen, but Sheena had predicted this would happen and was ready for the teen, grabbing him by the wrist and snapping the arm back. She then planted her knee in the teen’s back, sending him to his knees, where she quickly took both of his arms and placed them behind his back.

The other teen, hearing the howls of pain from his partner, immediately dropped the loot they had stolen and instead decided to flee the scene. He of course didn’t realize that there were two people following them or else he would’ve been prepared for the blow to the back of his head that sent him sprawling to the concrete below, thanks to a handy dandy flashlight and the laws of psychics.

“Nice toss,” Sheena said, grinning up at the security guard.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, both Sheena and Doug were leaving the scene of Sea City’s shopping center and headed back to their respective vehicles. As promised, local state police arrived on scene and took the two teens - identified as David Burns and Richie Tolbert - into custody for breaking and entering, as well as petty theft. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time the former had been in trouble, so he was looking at serving some actual time, while his friend might get off as a first offense.

Doug walked the young woman back to her bike, staying as she looked over the damage to her things. Thankfully, her motorcycle seemed to be intact, but she couldn’t say the same for her laptop, which indeed had suffered from slamming onto the ground. “I’m sure you could pursue a case in civil court,” Doug replied, looking at the remains when she pulled out the device.

“Well, it’ll have to do,” she grumbled. “Cause I do not want to inform my girlfriend that I’m in prison when she comes back.”

“Oh, is she out of town?”

Sheena gave him a slight look. “You could say that,” she stated. “Anyway, I’m actually headed out of town, to Beach City, so…”

“You’re from Beach City?” Doug asked, surprised at her statement. “How ironic. I’m headed there myself.” While they inspected the bike, Doug had received a message from Connie that she and the Gems had returned, with Steven in tow. They had literally just landed and she had wanted to check in before having Greg give her a ride home or possibly stay at the beach house.

Obviously that last option was no option, so Doug had responded that he was more than happy to come get her.

“Do you live in Beach City?” she asked, also surprised. While she hadn’t been in the little town a lot, she at least remembered some of the people she had encountered, not counting Pearl’s own family.

“No, my daughter’s friend lives there,” he stated. “But she was on a trip with them and just got back.”

“Well, I can certainly give you a ride back to your car,” Sheena replied. “My...uh...very good friend lives there. She’s on a trip, like I said, so I just want to check on the house, make sure everything’s good.”

Sheena tried to cover the blush that reached her cheeks. Her previous statement about jail finally caught up to her brain, making her realize that she had just stated that Pearl was her girlfriend, something that neither had discussed, and to a virtual stranger no less. The fact that his kid happened to have a friend in the city was even worse; what if they knew who Pearl was and told her Sheena was throwing around relationship labels left and right.

“And I can’t lie,” she admitted. “Their little coffee shop has decent coffee and I could go for some donuts right now.”

“No problem,” Doug said, though he eyed the motorcycle with one part excitement and ninety-nine parts trepidation.

“Ever ride before?”

Doug shook his head in the negative. “I don’t mind walking,” he stuttered. “I’m literally up the street.”

“And we’re literally going to the same place,” Sheena countered. “It’ll take five minutes and I’ll follow you up. Actually, depending on how Boss Hog here handles, you may need to follow me.”

The security guard watched as the young woman placed her laptop bag and coffee mug in a small compartment that sat on the back of the bike, before pulling out a second helmet and offering it to the man. He was hesitant for a moment before deciding to just grab the helmet and put it on. Sheena nodded at him before swinging a leg over the machine and patting the seat behind her.

Doug walked over, also putting his leg over the bike and throwing his arms around the woman’s waist, squeezing her midsection tightly. “Whoa!” she exclaimed, tapping the hands knotted at her stomach. “Not so tight, dude. You gotta relax, it’s only up the street, like you said.”

Doug loosened his grip considerably, mumbling an apologetic ‘sorry’ against her hair. The woman started the bike, looking to the side for any oncoming traffic, and pulled out onto the street. The Indian man tapped against her stomach, yelling that she needed to turn right at the first intersection. Sheena did as instructed before pulling up in front of Come Sea Me after receiving instructions to stop.

Sheena kept the engine running, allowing the security guard to get off and turn over the extra helmet. Doug pointed to the green and white sedan that had been parked across the street, receiving a nod from the woman, signaling her understanding. The woman watched as the man hurried to his car and started it, pulling onto the street, signaling her to go ahead of him so he could follow. The drive was quiet and scenic, both drivers thinking about their own loved ones return or rather, hopeful return.

The two of course had no idea of the incredible connection they both shared, at least until they reached the popular donut shop about twenty-three minutes later. Normally the Big Donut closed around 8 or 9pm, but for some reason, it was still open at 10:30pm, though it was clear that the young lady who ran the place was cleaning up and helping the last two customers as both Doug and Sheena pulled up.

Fate has a rather ironic and deadpan sense of humor, putting people in situations they never would have been in and introducing them to a new purpose in life. It had certainly happened with the members of the Crystal Gems, where the core members had met under extraordinary means, forming a strange little group and family. This of course extended to the people they tended to hang around with and knew.

Take this very night and moment, for instance. It was a literal one in a million chance that Doug Maheswaran, responding to a break-in and clear violation of the private property laws, would run into one Sheena Murphy as she was leaving her own place of employment, on a day that she was usually working from home. And on this very night, at that very moment, Connie Maheswaran – the daughter of the former - and Pearl – second in command of the Crystal Gems and hopeful/potential alien girlfriend of the latter – were coming out of the very door to the Big Donut, the very place that Doug and Sheena had stopped in front of, with Pearl carrying two boxes of donuts in her arms.

Fate had also intervened by having the Big Donut and it’s lone, responsible worker Sadie Miller, stay open past its normal closing time, allowing for the four above parties to meet up. This of course didn’t even account for the fact that Greg Universe, father of Connie’s best friend and ally to said Crystal Gems had been with Sadie earlier in the day and had just gone off to greet his formerly kidnapped son who had been returned.

Yes, Beach City is a strange little town.

But for this night and this moment _and_ with these people, that strangeness had just come two-fold.

“Dad!”

“Pearl.”

“Connie!”

“Sheena?”

“Sheena?” Connie repeated, barely getting the question out from beneath her father’s familiar bomber jacket. “Dad, you didn’t tell me you knew Pearl’s girlfriend.”

“You’re Connie’s father?”

“You didn’t tell me you knew Connie and the Crystal Gems.”

Questions and statements flew around before the quartet were laughing at the very absurdity of it. “I guess this is the part where I say you never asked,” Sheena chuckled. Addressing the younger girl and the alien, she said, “And we actually just met, while catching a couple of thieves.”

“Whoa!”

“Well, you’ve certainly been busy,” Pearl replied, a slight smile on her lips.

The pink haired woman shrugged, though she returned the shy smile. “Had to do something while I waited for you to return.” That brought about a bluish blush to the gem’s cheeks that she fought to keep down, to no avail.

“I actually just got back,” the gem stated. “As in, we literally just landed about ten, fifteen minutes ago. Steven was hungry, so…”

“Donuts for dinner?” Doug asked, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.

“Call it a late night snack,” Connie huffed, a bit of mischievous laughter in her tone. “And it was Steven who was craving a donut. I was just being a good friend by bringing him one. And you should talk! What’re _you_ doing here?”

The security guard reared back in mock surprise. “I’ll have you know I was escorting this helpful young lady into the city and she requested we stop here. So there.”

The two looked sternly at each other before breaking down into a fit of giggles and laughter. Connie hugged her father tightly, saying, “I missed you, baba.”

Sheena’s eyes held on to Pearl’s blue for a moment until she turned to view the father and daughter before her. “So you’re the infamous Connie,” she joked. “As in _the_ Connie, also known as Steven Universe’s best friend.”

The young girl cheeks turned red, before a smile graced her face. “He’s mentioned me?” she asked.

“Well…” Sheena began. “There had been talk on me coming to see the next Dogcopter movie with you all when it comes out.”

“You like Dogcopter?” the teen asked, excitedly. Her excitement was tempered slightly as she felt her phone vibrate with an incoming message. Pulling the phone from her pocket, she quickly read the message, before typing out a reply. “Apparently Steven says he’s going to die of starvation if we don’t come back soon.”

Connie pulled away from her father and quickly took the two boxes of donuts from her mentor. “I got them, Pearl!” The two shared a look that was probably only meant for them, but Sheena got the sense that the young girl was allowing the two to have a moment, something that was confirmed when Doug quickly followed after the girl, asking her all types of questions in regards to her adventures.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was back,” Pearl said. “We literally just arrived and Greg was there and Steven was craving donuts and…”

“It’s okay,” the woman murmured. “I’m just glad you’re back.”

The two continued staring at each other, almost afraid that if they looked away or blinked, this reality would soon turn out to be a dream. It was only the sounds of the donut girl, Sadie Miller, closing up that seemed to break the tension. “Oh hey,” the blonde replied, turning when she saw Sheena. “I’m sorry. Did you want something? I’m usually not open this late.”

“No, no…”

“It’s fine, Sadie,” Pearl replied, her posture straightening as she again looked at Sheena. “She’s…she’s with me.” Taking the last few steps to close the distance between them, Pearl shyly asked, “Shall we go?”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“Nonsense,” the gem giggled, nervously. “You’re my guest.”

Sadie gave a cheerful goodnight to the two, who responded in kind before heading towards the beach house. This was the moment of truth for Sheena, who had toyed and liked the idea of Pearl being her girlfriend and the acknowledgement that the feeling seemed to be mutual only spurred her on. “So…” she began, her head down to try and hide the widening smile. “Girlfriend, huh?”

Pearl again giggled before saying, “Yes, well…that’s certainly not the first time someone I know has addressed you as such.” A touch of blue rose to her cheeks and she gave Sheena a fleeting look. “Of course, if there’s another…a better term…”

Sheena couldn’t help but giggle herself, something she had been known to do a lot more frequently since meeting the peach haired wonder. Throwing an arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders and pulling her closer, she murmured, “No. I think ‘girlfriend’ covers it.”

She felt, rather than saw, the way the gem relaxed against her, her smile seemingly brightening the night sky, as a thin arm wrapped around her waist. The two continued down the beach, Sheena reflecting on the night – she may have lost a laptop, but she had officially gained a girlfriend.

Not at all a bad night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheena's sections come from my tie-in story, [Fight For Our World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449766), which currently explores our mystery girl's relationship with Pearl.The continuation of her night with the Gems and the Maheswarans will be continued in the next chapter if you'd like to see it.


	5. Starchild & Sadie Killer vs the Gruesome Twosome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greg Universe and Sadie Miller spend the day fighting off against two gruesome monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, many apologies for not having this up before the movie came out, which had been the plan. As you read through, I may have put my feelings on my current job into Sadie's feelings about hers, if that gives you any indication of why this is going up so late.
> 
> Second, have we all seen the movie? Wasn't it incredible!? I'm really going to try my hardest to get this series updated and the first part finished before season 6 happens, but just know that I also had a time skip for the 2nd half of this, so y'all will be seeing a teen Steven (complete with neck!) in upcoming stories.
> 
> I'm laying some foundations in this story, as you can tell by the title, and I'm hoping to bring in some other elements from season 5 and possibly the movie, but I haven't got that far yet. Again, hopefully these will tide us over until season 6 comes about.
> 
> Big thanks of course to all of my readers, new and current, and for all of the kudos, bookmarks, and comments.
> 
> EDIT - obviously, I had meant to post this last month and got sidetracked, but better late than never, says I! LOL And based on the chapter content, I got it up just before Halloween, so now you all get a two-fer!
> 
> EDIT 2 - tried to get this up on Halloween and...yeah. But hey, even the Simpsons can't always do Treehouse on actual Halloween, right?

The loud screeching of the alarm broke Sadie Miller from her weird, b-movie horror show dream, causing her arm to slap down on the snooze button, silencing the sound, if just for a moment.

It had been a long night for the blonde, ending an even longer day; Sadie was one of the senior members working at the Big Donut, a regional dessert haven that created favorite treats like donuts, coffee, and of course the famous Big Donut Dog-Nuts and Nut-Dogs. The work she did at the little coffee shop had literally started as a summer job many, many, many summers ago, until she eventually became the unwitting and unofficial manager.

And as the unofficial manager, it was Sadie’s job to wake up at 5:45 in the morning to get to the shop, so she could start prepping the food and drinks before opening the doors at 7am. Her day would go the same way it had for the last few years - she’d stock the store by herself and open, the only other employee there would stroll in about an hour or two late, and they would spend the rest of the time waiting and watching for the other ten people in town to stop by.

Her co-worker Lars Barriga never made it a secret that he hated working there and the blonde had wondered if the young man only came into work just to see her; that thought immediately fled her mind when she thought about recent events that had taken place in the city. That had been one of the reasons she had been staying up at night - her mind continuously played out her experience and no matter what horror picture she watched, they never completely erased the images that plagued her mind.

Nearly a month ago, Sadie Miller had been the victim of an alien abduction, along with four others. Citizens of Beach City weren’t strangers to creatures and monsters that roamed about the city and surrounding areas; Steven Universe and his family were residents there, after all, so they were used to strange activity that happened. However, nothing like kidnappings had ever happened before and when it did, a growing change began to take place in the town.

For starters, current Mayor Bill Dewey was coming under fire for not doing more to notify the citizens about the dangers in their town. While Kofi Pizza was adamant and vocal that the problems all stemmed from Steven and his family, most of the residents knew that without them, they’d be in a lot more trouble. Sadie knew the current political environment was changing and shifting, but she couldn’t worry about that now.

She had a job to get to.

The quick summer job she had taken to make some extra cash had turned into a full time job and one she’d been at for a number of years now, far more than she’d actually planned for, and she was certainly feeling it. Being abducted by aliens tended to bring one’s life into focus, clear focus, to see where a person’s life was heading. And Sadie’s life was headed...nowhere.

The young woman once had dreams in the sleepy little town - she’d taken the job to get her through the summer before she finally decided if she wanted to go to college or not and what she wanted her major to be in the first place. Her mother, Barb, hadn’t gone to college per se, but had managed to get an associates in business; as a young mother raising a baby, Barb was smart enough to get employment that enabled job security.

And while Beach City was small, it still needed to keep pace with growing mail demands and that meant needing people to deliver that mail. Delivering mail wasn’t a glamorous job, but Barb seemed to enjoy it and more than once, the elder Miller had made comments and suggestions that she would be more than happy to get her daughter set up with a life of a mail woman.

But Sadie didn’t want that; problem was, she didn’t know _what_ she wanted. True, she was still young enough where life decisions were still scary and she had plenty of time to figure it out, but she _was_ old enough to try and figure out what she needed to do. Sadie absolutely knew she didn’t want to work at the Big Donut for the rest of her life, but what else was there to do in a small town like BC?

There were times, for just a few moments, Sadie wished she’d actually be taken into space.

* * *

The Big Donut opened six days a week at seven in the morning and 7:30 in the morning on Sundays. Since the legal ban had been lifted, the shop had been once again making their own donuts, meaning that instead of coming in at 6:30 in the morning, which had been customary, BD employees were now required to come in at least an hour before hand in order to make the donuts. Sadie had thankfully gotten into a routine, so that she’d only have to arrive early a few times a week, make the dough and have it ready so she could easily take the time to sleep in on Sundays.

She wished today was Sunday, especially when getting up in the mornings now were just as grueling as they were tedious. The five minute walk from her home to the shop was just five more minutes Sadie rethought her life choices and fell into a familiar pattern of wondering what it was all for. Lucky, her thoughts today drifted between her recent near abduction and the weird movie she’d caught on G4 as she went to bed.

It was a clear knockoff of the popular Goji movies, where a giant monster threatened a small little village and was only taken down by the determined humans that resided there; there was a slight twist however, where the humans were aided by a colorful magical creature that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Thinking about it, Sadie was fairly sure the creature - she thought it had been purple or red for some reason - had been in the background earlier in the movie, but it had been well after midnight when she’d gotten home and plopped into bed.

Focusing on the movie made the walk a little better, especially when she reached the darkened shop and wasn’t at all surprised that Lars was nowhere in sight. Lars had been one of those potential victims alongside her, but his reaction to seeing her being attacked was to flee off the ship and when Steven had turned himself in, allowing for everyone to escape, Lars was already halfway to the docks at Funland.

Sadie couldn’t lie - she was furious. Lars had done many things to her and to others, so it shouldn’t have been such a shock that he would just turn tail and run, but Sadie had hoped that he would’ve stood up for her, for Steven at least and when that didn’t happen, it made the blonde completely reevaluate her friendship with the younger man. She certainly wasn’t a warrior by any means, but she at least thought she was loyal to her friends and family.

Lars Barriga apparently had no such concerns or affiliations.

If Sadie hadn’t been so mad, she may have been concerned that she hadn’t seen him since that night, the night that had changed everything. But Sadie Miller’s anger was solid and would not be swayed; as far as she was concerned, Lars was dead to her. If he was missing, it was probably because he had finally quit, something that she herself hadn’t managed to do.

Summers were the big tourist attraction in the city, which meant the Big Donut would have a bigger than normal crowd, which could be hectic for one person. It was something Sadie was consistently not looking forward to doing, even as she put the key into the lock of the door and closing it behind her. The lobby was dark, as was the rest of the shop. As she did every day, Sadie walked towards the counter and went behind it, opening one of the fridges and placing her lunch on the bottom shelf, secretly grateful that her mother had been making these for her since she started working here.

This was the day when she’d be making more dough for the donuts, adding to the batch she’d made a few days earlier. In the next fridge, she removed the container that held the dough before hearing a noise from the back room. While burglaries were rare, if not non-existent in Beach City (other than the occasional trouble Onion would get into), there was always the chance, especially with tourist season in full swing.

Sadie had overheard a few patrons the other day talking about how some of the shops in Sea City had been broken into and while she was coming to loathe working there, she wasn’t just going to let someone trash the place; not while she was around at least. Grabbing the small baseball bat she kept under the counter, the blonde slowly made her way towards the opening to the break room.

It was a small room and technically, it was more stock room than anything else, but she and Lars had been using it as a getaway from the monotonous hours of not doing anything to take small breaks in the day. Of course, Lars used more than anything else, but on the off chance he actually felt like working that day – or more often than not, owed Sadie big time for skipping out on doing actual work – the blonde was able to sit down and eat her lunch in peace and quiet, even sneak in a quick movie if she was feeling in the mood.

Peering into the darkened room, she was able to make out a hunched figure by some of the boxes and she slowly reached for the light switch. She quickly flipped it on, yelling loudly as she blocked the intruder’s escape from the front. In the light of the room, her yells only served to interrupt whatever the pink beast was doing, if only to irritate his search for…whatever he was looking for.

It took Sadie a few minutes to realize the large intruder was none other than Steven’s pet pink lion. How he managed to get into the back of the store without going through the front was beyond her, but she relaxed her stance and placed the bat next to the door before stepping through. Sadie loved animals, having a variety in her youth, but she couldn’t exactly state that she’d ever had one so…exotic. Lions were notoriously fearsome, but also loyal and while she hadn’t been formerly introduced, she had seen the pink creature about town with both Steven and his friend Connie.

“Hey buddy,” she cooed, walking slowly towards the beast. She didn’t want to frighten him or worse, cause him to become angry enough that he’d decide she was the treat he was looking for after all. The lion only spared her a quick glance before he went about poking his nose and then head into some of the boxes.

Sadie tried to observe the best place to hopefully grab the creature, but it seemed fitting that Steven hadn’t even bothered to put a collar on the thing. Reaching out slowly, she gave the creature’s hindquarter a slow pat, causing him to glance at her again; this time, however, he fully turned around to match her gaze, sitting down to look at her. Now, Sadie Miller knew she was short, had always known and had heard a good majority of short jokes directed at her.

But in that moment, she realized, just how very short she was. Even sitting, Steven’s pet was still a good inch taller than her, despite his eyes seemingly boring into hers. Sadie giggled nervously, before slowly reaching out and patting the lion on the head; he didn’t so much as move, his eyes never leaving hers. “How did you get in here?” she whispered, giving him one last pat before pulling her hand back, just as slowly.

She hadn’t exactly expected an answer, but it would’ve been better than the unmoving way he continued to stare at her. It suddenly dawned on the blonde that the creature might be looking for food – she hadn’t seen the other Crystal Gems since Steven left on that spaceship, though she only truly knew the one called Amethyst. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Connie, Steven’s little friend, either.

The worry she’d try to put in the back of her mind came to the forefront. She had been extremely lucky to escape, thanks in part to Steven, Connie, and the Gems, but there had been no winners that night. Steven had sacrificed himself to her, Jamie, Lars, and Onion and if she closed her eyes, Sadie could still remember hearing Connie screaming the boy’s name as the ship disappeared, could still hear the soft sobbing that came from the taller gem, and the forlorn voices that came after, as everyone got ushered in the Amethyst shaped boat.

Sadie even thought she felt the water vibrating, but she had put that out of her mind as her being in shock.

After that night, she hadn’t seen the strange little family. The last she saw, they were headed to the car wash to tell Greg Universe about his son; now Sadie _had_ seen Mr. Universe, though there had been a few days when the car wash had been closed, but soon the familiar smiling face of the elder man was again seen. She wondered if Steven’s pet had been saying with him and had made his way out that morning.

“I bet you’re missing Steven, aren’t you?”

Lion looked at her briefly, before bowing his head. Sadie gave him a consoling stroke and pat before walking past him to open the backdoor. “Come on,” she whispered, urging the lion out the back and into the small alleyway. “You go back to Mr. Universe, okay?” she said. “He probably needs you more than you need the stale bread we keep back here.”

Giving him another pat, Sadie walked back into the shop’s break room and sighed, closing the door behind her as she did. She truly felt horrible for Mr. Universe, berating herself for her ungrateful thoughts about her stupid job and her stupid life when the former musician was probably reeling from the news about his son. That was probably why she hadn’t seen the Gems in so long as well. Different they may be, the three magical ladies did seem to care for Steven greatly and seemed to know about the strange beings who had come to claim the town’s people before taking off with their sole hostage.

And maybe that was it. Maybe Steven was being held hostage and they were the only ones that could come up with whatever was needed to get him back. That certainly made sense, especially if these were actual aliens; what they wanted with her or Steven, Sadie didn’t know, but the thought that they were doing something terrible to the teen managed to replace her previous, selfish thoughts.

Steven and his family were going through something horrific and she was moaning about working at this dead end job. Taking a deep breath, Sadie made a decision – she was going to continue to work, put her own issues aside and think about someone else. The next time she saw Mr. Universe or any of the Gems, she’d make a special donut just for them; it wouldn’t bring back Steven, but maybe it could brighten their day a little.

And she would go to the Barrigas and check on Lars. She was still mad at him, but she could at least make sure he was okay.

Nodding to herself, the blonde manager went about starting her day.

* * *

Within twenty minutes, Sadie had the store up and running, before turning the closed sign to open and taking her place behind the counter. Most mornings were typically slow, given the low population in the city and really, her only constant customer was that of Steven Universe. Encountering his giant pet had put him back in her thoughts, bringing back the nightmare that had taken place that night.

It had been a literal scene out of a horror movie – she on her way home, having said goodbye to the preteen. They had left a potluck thrown by the so-called Cool Kids – Sour Cream, Jenny Pizza, and Buck Dewey – and while the night had been fun, both she and Steven had been miffed and a little annoyed that Lars had once again decided to flake out on something for whatever excuse he had.

Later, they’d learn it was because he, along with Jamie and Sour Cream’s younger brother had been abducted by the same aliens that Sadie herself would encounter on her way home. Anyone else may have been startled by seeing the large yellow colored humanoid and the small floating blue smaller being; anyone else but the people in Beach City, that is. That was the only reason Sadie could give when she thought over her actions that night.

She had been annoyed, but far more disappointed in Lars than she didn’t think she’d ever been before (which would of course turn out not to be true at all); the Cool Kids were his friends or rather, friends he wanted to be with, but always seemed to be incredibly nervous or anxious around them. What made the whole situation ironic was the fact that all three teens seemed to like Lars, which was one of the reasons for the impromptu potluck.

Sadie couldn’t remember seeing her friend so excited before, eagerly creating one of his signature dishes. Lars was a fantastic cook and Sadie always thought that he could’ve opened his bakery or restaurant one day, if he ever applied himself to do so. He was still a teen, almost three years her junior, so of course he’d be trying to figure out what he wanted to do and Sadie understood that; she knew he was going through the typical teenage angst, which tended to hide his anxious nature.

She understood him, she really did, and maybe that was the reason her feelings for him seemed to grow deeper than friendship. It was a silly crush, she knew that, but sometimes…sometimes, she thought maybe he felt the same, but then he’d doing something so incredibly rude or ungrateful that Sadie had begun to think that he was only being nice to her to get her to do his job for him.

Which, in most cases, was exactly what she did.

That night, the night they were supposed to be at Sour Cream’s house for their gathering and the night Lars Barriga had once again decided to be selfish and just do what he wanted, Sadie Miller decided that she was done. Her relationship with Lars was going to be professional from now on and she was going to do a far better job of finding another position elsewhere in the city or nearby cities, she didn’t know, but she was going to make some changes, dang it. So when she came across the two strange beings, Sadie Miller didn’t really blink an eye. After knowing Steven and living in Beach City, she knew the look of strange aliens at this point and they didn’t look menacing or anything like that.

And when the small one asked if she was ‘a Sadie’ – _a_ Sadie, not just Sadie, which should’ve been a clear giveaway – she of course answered in the affirmative before asking if they were looking for Steven or the rest of his family. The little blue one had clapped excitedly, telling the bigger one that they’d found another one. The blonde had no idea what that meant, at least until the larger being had come into the light and Sadie saw what had happened to Lars.

And Jamie.

And Onion.

And her, eventually. She’d been in such a shock that she hadn’t even had a moment to turn and run before she was engulfed inside the yellow alien. Her mouth had been covered, but not her ears and that’s when she heard the smaller blue alien state that all they needed now was a ‘My Dad’ and a ‘Connie’; that was when Sadie realized what was happening. For all of her nerdiness and love for classic B horror, she knew immediately that they were being kidnapped, abducted, and that they were on a list of people being taken.

She had no idea who or what ‘my dad’ was in reference to, but she did know a Connie and her mind had immediately connected the beings to Steven, which meant he was most likely in danger. And there was nothing she could do about it.

The rest of her time being cooped up in…side….something was pretty roaming around town and keeping out of sight while the smaller being went around asking people if they were my dad or Connie. And just as Sadie had suspected, when the group did find their way into the woods, Steven and Connie were not only together but immediately recognized the two as being the same species as Steven’s female family members. Sadie didn’t exactly know what Connie’s association with Steven was – other than potential or possibly current girlfriend – until the girl had revealed a giant pink sword and seemed to know how to use it.

Compared with the others, Sadie knew a little more about the type of monsters Steven faced; she’d faced one herself on that tiny little island, which resulted in the faded, but permanent scar on her face. She didn’t know what any of this had to do with them, though and the last thing she saw before poor Connie got caught up was Steven being thrown into a tree.

She wouldn’t know the story – the full story, which she also didn’t know – until they were floating in the water, with Steven still on the ship. He declared himself Rose Quartz and that he is the intergalactic war criminal they are looking for. And with that, the young son and only child of Greg Universe turned and walked into a spaceship, never to be seen again. If this had been a movie, there would’ve been a sequel – though depending on box office receipts, there might not – depicting what had happened and detailing how Steven was able to return home and live happily ever after.

Sadie was really hoping for that sequel because life in Beach City didn’t seem to be the same without Steven Universe.

And now it seemed his other family members had also gone, with the exception of Greg Universe, who could still be seen around town at his car wash or in his van. Most of Beach City, Sadie included, didn’t really mess with the strange creatures that tended to roam around the beach sometimes, as Mayor Dewey usually proclaimed, those were jobs for the ‘magical ladies’ that the Universe kid hung around.

But that kind of thinking was how they got to where they were now and why Dewey was out and about trying to trump up votes from people who weren’t going to be voting him. People were suddenly forced to confront what was truly going on in their city; there were monsters and aliens, with the only friendly ones being members of the community.

Sadie had to admit that if this had been any other location, the populace might have demanded that Steven and his family leave town, take their strange little unit and rituals and get the heck out of Dodge. There was something to be said about small sea towns, especially when there was literally only twelve people who lived there.

Sadie’s thoughts were interrupted by a noise coming from the back room, causing her to rush back, only to find Steven’s lion once again roaming around in the break area. “C’mon dude,” she sighed, walking over and trying to – once again – push the creature out the back door and into the alley. She had gotten him halfway through the door, but he suddenly stopped and didn’t want to budge.

She tried pushing him.

She tried pulling him.

She tried talking to him, coaxing him to come outside.

At one point, she thought she saw PeeDee Fryman coming down the sidewalk and considered calling out for him, but he seemed to be a hundred miles away, probably trying to figure out what Ronaldo’s newest conspiracy theory actually meant. It seemed like a stand off, Sadie Miller versus the Creature That Wouldn’t Leave.

Until Sadie had an idea. Rushing back into the store, passing three confused customers who were standing and waiting for her at the counter. “Just a sec!” she exclaimed, running to the freezer, grabbing a frozen threat, and rushing back out the front door. She skidded to a stop just around the corner to the alleyway, not completely surprised to see that the pink lion was still sitting where she left him.

“Hey boy,” she cooed, waving the threat in the air. “Wanna treat? Wanna a tasty treat? I have a Lion Licker.”

Sadie was pretty sure this would work, she had seen – and heard – Steven buy these little things for his pet, complaining about how they had ruined a perfectly good snack by getting rid of Cookie Cats and replacing them with Lion Lickers. The blonde wasn’t big on ice cream on a stick, but she’d had both and truth be told, she kinda like the Lickers better.

Not that she’d ever tell Steven Universe that.

As she hoped, the lion immediately perked up at the sound and sight of his favorite treat, removing himself from the back doorway and coming towards her, cautiously. He sniffed at her for a moment before sitting down obediently and waiting for her to decide what to do with the deliciousness in her hand. “Okay,” she cooed. “I’m gonna give this to you, but you have to promise to not go sneaking back into the back room, alright?”

The lion just stared at her, no change in his facial structure that indicated that he either understood what she was saying or she was speaking a completely different language he didn’t get. Hoping that he understood her message, Sadie none the less handed him the Lion Licker. He sniffed it before taking it and shaking it in his mouth, plopping down right in the alley to try and get the cumbersome wrapper off.

Sadie sighed, hoping that would give the animal or creature what he wanted and was looking for, before turning to head back inside. Unsurprisingly, only a few of the patrons from before were still hanging out in the lobby waiting for her. At this point in her career, she really wasn’t too concerned about that, though seeing Onion staring up at the freezer was always cause for alarm (and a thorough search of the cash register and stock).

As expected, the busiest time of her day lasted for about an hour or so before the last person left. Sadie knew she had about a few hours before the lunch crowd - which consisted of maybe Suitcase Sam or Mayor Dewey coming in - descended upon, so that meant doing a few things of restocking and possibly catching up on the book she had started. She was a third into the next chapter when Greg Universe walked through the door.

“Hey there, Mr. Universe.”

“Hey Sadie,” the musician replied, smiling at her as he reached the counter. “How’s it going? No Lars today?”

Sadie grunted in disapproval at the statement. “Well, I’m here,” she stated, rolling her eyes. “Obviously. And Lars is not. Obviously.”

Greg scratched a point on his beard. “That’s strange, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Not really.”

“Well, yeah,” he admitted. “But I mean, he usually shows up at some point. I ran into his dad the other day and he hasn’t seen him. Figured they’d come to you to ask if you have.”

Sadie looked at him in confusion. “Lars is missing again?” she asked, a bit of worry lacing her voice.

Greg shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he said. “His dad said he does sometimes stay out at night, but they haven’t really seen him since...well...you know.”

The blonde nodded in understanding. “I think the better question is how are you, Mr. Universe?”

The former musician smiled slightly. “The Gems are on it,” he said, confidence eluding from his voice. “They’re going to get Steven back. I know they will. It’s just a matter of time. What about you? Are _you_ okay? You don’t look so good, Sadie; your eyes look like they’re about to take a trip away from your face.”

Sadie chuckled at the comparison. She knew she looked horrible, but these days she stopped caring, even more so after nearly being abducted. “I’m spending too much time staying up late and waking up early,” she said. “I kinda have a lot on my mind.”

“Well, if you ever need to talk…”

Greg’s sentiment was interrupted by the strange sounds coming from the front door, as though someone was trying to walk in, but was having issues opening the door. Looking around the musician, the blonde groaned and let out a “Not again!” causing the elder man to turn and look behind him.

The front glass window of the door was being taken up by the large pink face of Lion. “What is he doing here?”

“Either trying to get more free food,” Sadie began, walking around the counter and heading for the door. “Or to drive me crazy. I’m about to settle on the last one.”

Greg watched as the short blonde tried to shoo the lion away from the door, not bothering to open the door. Lion of course just stood there, even going so far as putting his nose and face against the glass door, peering inside and focusing on the fridge where his favorite treat was being held.

“He’s been real clingy,” Greg admitted, coming to stand next to her. He shook his head at the pink beast, opening the door, but blocking him from coming in. “C’mon Lion,” he said. “You know better than that. What would Steven say, huh?”

Sadie wasn’t sure, but she thought there may have been a sad look on the pink face and he did seem to look down in disappointment. A sterner person would’ve stood there, angrily glaring at the creature, but Sadie had never been someone who let anger fester, even when there were times she really should have. In the end, she relented and headed towards the freezer, grabbing a Lion Licker before approaching the door.

“Last one, you,” she huffed, handing over the treat to the lion, who timidly took it and backed up from the door.

“Go on home, Lion,” Greg said, giving the lion a few pats on the head. “We gotta make sure nothing happens to the house until the Gems come back with Steven. I’ll stop by a little later, okay?”

The lion seemed to huff, but in a friendly manner as he walked towards the end of the sidewalk, plopping down and doing his best to get the goodness out of the wrapper.

“Sorry about that,” the musician apologized, sheepishly. “I hope he hasn’t been a pain this morning.”

“He has,” Sadie giggled. “But I understand. It’s…it’s really weird not having Steven around, huh?”

Greg gave her a sad smile. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I wish I could say that I’m used to it, but…you can’t really get used to missing your kid, especially when he does something so fundamentally stupid that you just want to struggle him.”

Sadie couldn’t help but laugh at that. Steven Universe was a good kid, but he could be annoying at times. Sadie gave the elder man a squeeze on his arm. “Are you sure you’re okay, Mr. Universe?” she asked.

The man nodded slowly. “I’m as good as I can be,” he whispered. “Though honestly, I could really use a donut and maybe some coffee.”

The two laughed, Sadie leading the former musician towards the counter.

* * *

“How’re your lessons with Buck Dewey going?”

With the donut shop slow and quiet, Greg didn’t mind just hanging out with someone who wasn’t actively looking for his son. Most of the other parents in town gave him sad smiles or looks of pity whenever he passed by; he got it, he understood. They didn’t know that the Gems were out looking and rescuing Steven and as much as they knew, Steven Universe was gone forever and Greg was a grieving father.

Ironically enough, the people that he hung around most these days were all teenagers or young adults, with the exception of Vidalia, who always gave him good advice and didn’t sugar coat whatever she said. He had been giving guitar lessons to Mayor Dewey’s son Buck for nearly a year now and the kid was getting good, like really good.

“For a kid who hadn’t ever played before, he’s really good,” he said, leaning against the counter and taking a sip from his cup of coffee. The two had been shooting the breeze for the last twenty minutes or so, with no interruption from the outside world. As a friend of Barb’s, Greg had always liked Sadie, and he couldn’t help but be worried about her, especially after what happened with her and the others.

“Actually,” he continued. “Buck was telling me that he, Sour Cream, and Jenny Pizza are gigging around at SC’s house. He wasn’t sure if they had a band or not, but it kinda sounds like it.”

Sadie nodded. After the potluck and abduction, Sadie found herself receiving calls and text messages from the so named Cool Kids, mostly from Jenny; the elder Pizza twin had come over a few times and had somehow discovered Sadie’s macabre love of B-movie horror, rushing to quickly text both Buck and Sour Cream about it. The blonde’s face had darkened in embarrassment, her fears seemingly coming true until the younger girl gushed about how she loved _Terror from the Deep_ and that she had seen _50,000 Leagues Under Water_ nearly 50,000 times to date.

Jenny had mentioned that the trio was trying to come up with a sound to their music, but they kept coming up empty. As far as Jenny was concerned, they already had a band, they just needed a sound.

“He mentioned they were hoping you’d join them.”

Greg’s statement broke her out of her thoughts, a shocked look on her face. “Yeah,” she said, sighing. “I’m totally flattered, but I can’t. I’ve got work and as you can see, I’m running the store alone and someone has to.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Greg said, holding up his coffee cup. “I’d miss the coffee, but I’m sure corporate can afford to hire someone else to hold down the fort, especially if both you and Lars decide to leave.”

It certainly wasn’t the first time someone had mentioned getting extra help to work at the Big Donut and it wasn’t the first time that Sadie herself had considered her life now and what her future held. She and Lars had often stood around wondering what the corporate big wigs did and how they may have forgotten about the little location in the beach town.

“We used to talk about that,” Sadie stated. “Lars and me, I mean, like what would happen if neither one of us came into work one day.”

Greg shrugged. “Your mom did say this was only supposed to be a summer job for you.”

Sadie snorted. “Yeah,” she chuckled. “And look where that got me.”

“Well, as a former young person,” Greg started. “I can tell you that you really never know where your life is going to take you until you actually pull out onto the road.” Sadie looked at him in bemusement. “Metaphors are not my strong suit, clearly.”

The two laughed.

And then they heard the loud roar.

* * *

Most days in Beach City were relatively quiet, with most of the boardwalk folk doing their daily routine – work for most, school for a few of the teens and kids that lived there; very rarely did that daily routine change.

Now, for those longtime residents of Beach City, the sight of a large, multi-colored beast coming out of the sea water would only scare them in the sense that the beast was right upon them and even then, they knew when to run and wait until Steven and his family came by to take care of it. As _non-residents_ of the city, the sight of a large, multi-colored beast coming out of the sea water was cause for alarm and panic.

The beast was large, nearly twelve feet tall, with bright green splotches over a dark yellow skin coloring. Its eyes were angry, a bright yellow that seemed to flash whenever its eyes set on a moving being, which in this case, were those vacationing travelers who had been lounging and playing on the beach sand. The beast gave a loud roar, which caused any lingering tourist to scatter out of its way; a second roar managed to rattle some of the windows of the boardwalk shops.

Many of those shop owners ushered in the screaming people into their own businesses, trying to calm the masses who were confused at this odd turn of events. Doing the very opposite of what the other owners were doing, both Sadie and Greg rushed out of the Big Donut to see what the commotion was, stopping when they saw the beast and people running.

“Let’s get these people inside,” Greg ordered, causing Sadie to nod. The two both began yelling at people to hurry towards them and out of the way of the beast. Said beast stood at the shore’s edge, looking around at those who ran from it, and taking a few steps onto the sand.

Once scared tourists and citizens had been rushed into businesses for protection, Sadie asked the obvious and chilling question.

“What do we do?”

Greg gulped, hoping that a day like this wouldn’t have come, especially not with the Gems gone. The warp whistle hung heavy around his neck, the responsibility he promised to uphold glaring right at him…

Greg Universe had been fairly upfront about his hands off approach when it came to gem related things; he had always been confident in the Crystal Gems and their abilities to keep both their home of Beach City and the Earth safe from foes and enemies such as this. It was the reason why he hadn’t pushed back on the decision to allow Steven to live with them when he got to the age his powers would kick, but it didn’t mean he didn’t worry about his son and his activities. Greg had been around his son and his co-parents and he knew dealing with corrupted gems could be tricky and never just so straight forward. Worse, if the gems had problems with trying to combat these things, what chance did he – a mere human – have against them?

He didn’t have Connie’s sword or Steven’s shield, only a van and a guitar; in many cases, that was all he needed. The decision seemed very simple – he would gather all of the frightened citizens and use the warp whistle, whisking them off to – hopefully – a safe place or perhaps it would send a beacon to the gems that he, and the Earth, were in trouble.

But that’s not what Greg Universe did.

Turning to his right, he was happy to see that Sadie must’ve had the same idea because she was already armed with what was probably the handle of the broom, but the end seemed to be sharpened into a point. He nodded to her before turning to look behind them at the people huddle inside the Big Donut. “Everyone stay calm,” he said. “We’ll handle this. Just stay inside, alright?”

“Shouldn’t we be calling the police?” asked one tourist.

“We need to be calling animal control!” shouted another.

“Animal control!? We need the National Guard!” called another.

“Don’t worry,” Sadie responded. “We deal with this stuff all the time.”

That statement shocked the group – _all the time??_ What kind of place _was_ this? The two would be gem confronters took confident strides towards the beast, though the two were literally shaking within. “This is a bad idea, right?” the blonde asked.

“Oh, absolutely,” Greg agreed. “We are very much out of our element, but we’ve also encountered corrupted gems before-” he nodded to her makeshift spear. “Obviously. We just have to poof it and make sure nothing happens to the gem. We’ll need to put in something so it can’t come back, at least not yet; we’ll need Steven in order to bring it back.”

Sadie nodded. “Right.”

The beast saw them, its eyes alight, and it roared angrily as it watched their approach. “Hang on!” Sadie suddenly shouted, turning around and heading back to the donut shop, running inside and passed the confused and still frightened potential customers. The corrupted gem again roared, causing the former musician’s eyes to widen slightly.

“Any moment, Sadie,” he murmured to himself. Thankfully, whatever the young woman needed to do, it only took her a short time to do it because she was back at his side in minutes, this holding a near identical handle to the one she held. This handle however ended in a metal stump, something Greg recognized as possibly being from an old mop.

“Corporate replaced our mops last mop,” she explained, handing the stick over to him. “Figured I could use it for something productive.”

Greg smiled gratefully at her before turning back to the lumbering creature, as it began to rush towards them; the two readied themselves, knowing what needed to be done and hoping that this decision wouldn’t end in their deaths. Just as the beast began to shorten the distance, a bright light exploded in front of the humans, temporary blinding both them and the beast.

When the light dissipated, the familiar form of Lion stood in between the group. He roared loudly, a circle of light coming from his mouth and hitting the creature in the chest, causing it to stumble backwards. “Lion!” Greg cried, rushing to the pink animal, Sadie on his tail. He patted the feline on the back. “You have great timing. Now, let’s bring this thing down.”

The trio faced the corrupted gem once more; it had regained its footing after Lion’s attack and that had only made it madder. Again, it tried to make a rush at the group, only to be stopped by the blast coming from the smaller creature. Greg and Sadie looked at each other, nodding at the unspoken plan they both held in their heads; they needed to keep the beast cornered, keep its attention on them, and keep it from going any further than it was.

Both humans ran in opposite directions - Greg going left and Sadie going right - as Lion stood in his spot.

Greg made the first move, swinging his weapon at the beast’s right leg; while he spent more time making music than playing sports, Greg had enjoyed his share of quick pick up games like baseball or basketball. His most recent sport had become tennis, something he had taken up after a quick gig at one of the country clubs nearby; he had invited Garnet to play with him, an obvious ploy to get to know the people - aliens - that were family to his girlfriend.

While Greg was attempting a combination front hand, baseball swing, Sadie was trying to find the perfect spot to launch her spear. She knew from experience that a precise hit would make these things explode in a puff of smoke, before dropping their gem, as Steven and now Greg had confirmed. She could see the gem, positioned on its left shoulder, and tried to figure out a way to strike without damaging it.

However, she had a new problem; now that the creature had seen them and since they had started attacking it, it was doing everything it could to make them _stop_. It swung at Greg, nearly taking his head off if he hadn’t jumped back in time, thankfully Lion’s roar seemed to distract it from coming after the former musician. With the beast’s attention elsewhere, Sadie took aim and went for the proverbial jugular.

And missed.

“Whoa!” Greg cried, stumbling back as the spear arc and crashed before him in the sand.

“Sorry!” called the blonde, ducking under the swinging arms of the beast to reach the other side. The missed shot only managed to make the beast angry and it pounded on the ground below, causing the whole area to shake, toppling both human fighters to the sand and creating a tremble within the buildings in the vicinity.

“We have to get it away from here!” Greg shouted, his voice straining against the pounding the beast was doing.

“Any suggestions?”

“The beach house,” he stated. “It can withstand something like this. I hope.” Looking at the pink lion who stood a ways to the side. “Lion! Meet us at the house!”

The lion seemed to understand the command, roaring at the creature to get its attention, allowing for Greg and Sadie to scramble to their feet to run towards the beach house. Lion roared again, the beast meeting its yell with one of its own, creating a virtual shouting match between the two. Lion sent a sonic blast to the creature before following his grand human’s instructions and running off towards the beach house that acted as his home as well.

The beast, not wanting to let its prey go, immediately followed, going at a run towards the beach house, where Greg and Sadie were waiting on the sand a distance away. “What’s the plan?” asked the elder man.

“Me!?” Sadie squeaked, looking at him in surprise. “I thought you had a follow up to ‘head to the beach house’.”

“Okay,” Greg huffed. “What about ‘let’s not die’?”

“Words of encouragement, Mr. Universe.”

Exasperated, the musician turned to look at her, his eye shifting between her and the makeshift spear she had made. “What were you planning to do with that?” he asked.

“Throw it until it hits something?”

“Actually,” Greg said, watching as the creature got closer and closer to them. “That might not be a bad idea.”

Lion suddenly portaled his way in front of the two, turning to face the oncoming monster, roaring at it as he had before. The creature was thrown back by the blast, but still managed to stay on its feet, delivering an angered call in response. “Sadie, do it now!”

Startled by the shout, Sadie shook her head from her thoughts and readied the spear for a second time. This time, she aimed for its chest, cocking her arm back and pushing forward, letting the spear fly from her hands; both humans watched as the stick flew through the air, sailing towards the gem creature, its own roar echoing in the daylight.

This time, the barista’s aim was true, with the spear implanting itself within the creature’s chest. The action stunned the creature, stopping its cry in comical fashion, before it looked down at the former broom handle sticking out from the top of its body; the beast could only stare in shock before it exploded with an audible ‘poof’, its gem hovering in the air for just a second before falling to the sand below.

The two humans sighed in relief, relaxing their stance, both of their bodies drooping. Greg slung an arm around his smaller companion, giving her a squeeze as he did. “Good job, Sadie Killer,” he chuckled, using the nickname he’d heard Buck call her during their talks about their potential band.

Sadie chuckled in response. She nodded to Lion, who was looked to be sniffing at the gem before picking it up and carrying it back to the two. “What do we do with it?” she asked.

Patting her on the back, the man replied with, “Wait here. I’m gonna go grab a jar or something to put it in.” Greg quickly rushed towards the house, running up the stairs and into the house. He was only gone for a few moments, finding a plastic Tupperware bin that was sitting on the counter; Pearl must’ve done the dishes before they left. Greg couldn’t help but smile at that – of course she would.

Greg had tried to stay in the house for the first few days, wanting to be around in case the others returned, but the memories proved to be too much. While he hadn’t lived with his son in quiet from time, it didn’t mean he wasn’t around for his life, and much of that life resided here in the converted Temple space. He had spent the night a few times, especially during the cold winter months so that he wouldn’t need to be in the cold van when the temperatures dropped.

His relationship with the gems had been rocky, strained, especially after Rose’s death; it had gotten better as Steven grew, though there was still a barrier between him and Pearl. At least, until they went to Empire City together on his son’s insistence. That barrier, one that had most likely been built by both of them, had fallen; it was embarrassing, all those years sniping at each other and trying to one up each other when they could’ve been friends.

When they could’ve dealt with the loss of Rose together.

Since then, probably longer than that, Greg’s bond with the gems had grown past the ‘we share custody of Steven Universe’ to the former musician outright declaring that they were as much members of his own family as they were to Steven. Greg could easily everyone in their normal places – Amethyst lounging on the couch, most likely taking a nap, Pearl wiping down the kitchen counters, while Garnet leaned against the refrigerator door, Connie and Steven up in the loft watching TV or playing a video game…

Greg had to stop staying there, only stopping by to check on the house, but he mostly stayed in the van outside. He had to shake himself out thoughts that he wouldn’t see the others again, that the same thing that was happening to Steven had happened to the gems.

In the present, Greg didn’t have time to think about the memories that held within the house, his only thoughts were grabbing something that would contain the gem they had just conquered, hoping against hope that a plastic container would keep the gem from reforming again. There was a slight fear that the time he had spent getting to the house and through the kitchen had given the gem time to return to its corrupted form, but thankfully as he made his way outside, Sadie and Lion were still standing there, waiting for him.

Greg presented the container to Lion, allowing him to drop the gem within it, before he quickly closed it, trapping the gem inside. “I hope this holds,” he murmured, holding up the container to view its contents. “At least until Steven and the gems come back.”

“What do we do with it?” asked Sadie.

Lion held the answer to that, lowering his head to Greg expectantly. Confused at first, Greg squinted at the gesture before a memory of watching Steven place a variety of different items within the creature. He nodded in understanding, pushing the container through the portal that revealed itself in Lion’s forehead. Sadie’s eyes opened wide, watching the process in surprise.

“That’s handy.”

Greg couldn’t help but laugh in response, more out of nervousness than anything. Once the container had disappeared within the pink pet, he took a step back, and began to stare at Sadie, a silent question in his eyes. Sadie sighed, though this was friendly exasperation. “Okay, okay,” she said, patting him on the head. “C’mon, let’s go get you a treat for your good deed.”

“My treat, Sadie,” Greg supplied, grinning at the feline. “We’d be toast if not for you, buddy.”

The trio began to walk back to the Big Donut, already seeing a crowd gathered on the patio, appearing waiting for them. Cheers went up as soon as they were seen, with people clapping and shouting at the two for their heroics, causing both Greg and Sadie to blush at the praise. From the crowd, Mayor Bill Dewey emerged, rushing to the two as they approached. “Universe! Donut…Lady!” he cried, causing Sadie to glare at the chosen title bestowed on her. “These people were telling me that you managed to save our town-” Turning to said crowd of people, he shouted, “As they normally do whenever we have any kind of incident like this.”

“Hey, hold up, Mayor…” Greg started, but was shushed by Dewey as he took them each by the arm and began to walk a bit of a distance away from the scene.

“Hush, Universe,” he whispered. “Enjoy your day in the spotlight.” Once again, he turned and waved at the crowd. “As mayor of Beach City, I need to know if I can count on your two to stop anything like this from happening again, especially when those magical ladies have seemed to abandon us at our time of need.”

“Those ‘magical ladies’ happen to be my friends and family,” Greg growled, yanking his arm from the mayor’s grasp. “And they haven’t abandoned the city; they went off to find Steven.”

“Who’s Steven?” Dewey asked, confused, before a memory of a small curly haired boy entered his mind. “Oh, the Universe kid!” Something else clicked in his mind. “Oh, _your_ kid!”

“Mayor Dewey,” Sadie chastised, also pulling her arm back from the balding man. “Are you even aware that two of your own citizens are missing? Don’t you think it’s odd you haven’t see Steven in weeks? And what about Lars?”

Again, Dewey looked at the two in confusion. Steven’s name he now recognized, but who the heck was Lars? As before, a brief memory of a skinny teenager entered his mind and he realized what the two were asking. “Oh, I understand now,” he said, nodding. “Well, don’t worry, Mayor Dewey is on the matter. I’ll definitely speak to the corporate offices and we will get you another employee to replace the old one.”

Both Greg and Sadie stared at him, anger filling both of them, but the blonde’s was quickest to reach the boiling point. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, shaking her head in fury. She grunted softly, stomping past him with Greg following her. “Goodbye, Mayor Dewey. And take your crowd of worshippers with you.”

Though irritated and highly annoyed, the two ‘heroes’ none the less took compliments and comments graciously, allowing some of those crowd members inside the donut shop so Sadie could sell them some of her wares. Dewey was left looking after them, wondering just what had happened, before he noticed the crowd was now currently staring at him. Straightening himself, he confidently walked back towards the visitors.

“Nothing to worry about, my fine visiting friends…” he began.

“Does this stuff happen all the time?” someone asked. “Are there going to be more of those things?”

“Where’s your police force to stop this from happening?” another asked.

“Who are those two?” asked another. “Are they like real life superheroes or something?”

“Fear not!” Dewey called out, silencing the questions. “As mayor of Beach City, it is my duty to ensure the protection of our citizens, local and touring! I can assure that everything is well in hand and that things like this only happen on occasion.”

“You mean this isn’t the first time something has come out of the water!?”

“Eh…calm yourselves. Nothing like this happens daily or even yearly. You see, sometimes the currents of the water can…blow in unwanted sea specimens onto the beach…”

* * *

The sun was setting, creating a beautiful backdrop against the blue sea. It had been a few hours since a strange monster had come from the ocean depths, with some tourists managing to return to their beach activities, but most had opted to stay away from the beach as a whole. This of course cause no small amount of stress for Mayor Dewey, who had tried his best to get people to go back to the water, stating that there was no danger and everything was fine.

Nothing causes hunger pains like being in danger, so most of those who had been in the crowd outside the Big Donut suddenly found themselves needing coffee and donuts, a quick snack in the face of nearly dying. Sadie had manned the register, while Greg had helped to grab all the different orders that were coming in. The rush had finally died down as the sunset, leaving the two in the store once again just hanging around and shooting the breeze.

Along with helping to deliver donuts, Greg had helped to wipe down tables and coffee counter, ignoring Sadie’s insistence that he didn’t need to do that; he waved her off with the cloth as he headed outside to clear the patio tables. After the quick clean up, the two found themselves in the same position they before rushing out to deal with the corrupted gem that had appeared.

Somewhere during their talk, the conversation shifted to life choices and where those choices could lead. Sadie, for the first time, admitted that she didn’t know what to do with her life or where it was headed. “I’ve thought about going to college,” she murmured. “But I wouldn’t know what to do if I did. Like…I’m not sure what I want to be or what I want to do.”

Greg hummed in understanding. He’d been in that spot before, trying to decide what the best path he should take; it had been an ongoing argument between him and his parents to the point where he had ended up leaving home in order to pursue what he thought would make him happy. That path had led him to Marty, which led him to Beach City, and that led him to Rose.

“Well,” he asked. “What is it you like doing? Start from there. I know you aren’t happy working here.”

The blonde chuckled darkly. “That obvious?” she asked, before sighing. “I only wanted to do this for a summer, maybe two, but…” She shook her head, unhappily. “I can’t leave at this point.”

“Why?”

“Other than not knowing what to do after this?” she joked. “And if I leave, what about Lars? Depending on if he’d ever show up to run the restaurant and if he didn’t show up, who’d run the Big Donut? It be closed forever, most likely.”

Greg shrugged. “Who cares?” he asked. “Listen Sadie, you have to do what’s good for _you_ , not what’s good for someone or something else. If going to college is what makes you happy, then do that; maybe you’ve got some talent that you didn’t know you had until you find it.”

“How did you find what you wanted?”

“I always wanted to be a musician,” he stated. “It’s what I wanted to do since I was younger than you, but my parents were not onboard with it. I almost caved, almost let them dictate what my life should be – go to college, go into business, get married, start a family – but that’s not what I wanted, at least not right then.

“It wasn’t glamorous,” he chuckled. “Being on the road as a musician is not as much fun as you think, especially when it’s just you and a very sketchy and horrible manager, but…I don’t regret it, any of it. It led me to Rose and it got me Steven and I can never regret the path that led me to that.”

Sadie nodded, the musician’s words flowing over her. Her mother was always telling her to do what she loved, but that didn’t always work in the real world; the real world was harsh and doing what you love was a quick way into the poor house. Yes, some people managed to luck out, discovered their passions, and chased them, but that wasn’t everyone. As she looked at the former musician, even his life didn’t _exactly_ pan out – he went from potential headlining musician to car wash owner and while he was happy with that life, he had also gotten rewarded for with in the amount of one million dollars.

Sadie wasn’t like that.

She didn’t have any true passions, unless watching old B-movie horror classics and singing in the shower counted as passions, which they didn’t. Sadie was lucky now because she still lived at home, which allowed her to save up in the event she decided to move away, but where would she go exactly? And life outside of Beach City required even harder work, where passions gave way to real jobs, 9-to-5 or longer days, car payments, insurance, taxes, and everything in between.

It wasn’t that Sadie couldn’t do any of those things, it was that she didn’t feel _prepared_ to do any of those things; working at a small regional chain of a donut shop for nearly five years didn’t really put you on a path of experience, not in the face of handling schedules, paperwork, and other office duties. Yes, her unofficial management experience could get her foot in the door at some places, but managing Lars was easy and most of his stuff she ended up doing anyway.

"If I wasn’t doing this, what would I do then?” she asked, quietly.

Greg again shrugged. “Whatever you want,” he responded. “Look, Sadie, you don’t have to outright quit, but you should be enjoying yourself, too. You’re working here more than I’ve seen you out of here and you’re obviously losing sleep over it; it’s not healthy, kid.”

The blonde sighed. “I know.”

Sadie knew he was right; she had heard this same type of speech from her mother more than she could count and while she absolutely agreed with it, it didn’t feel as though there was anything she could do. She was stuck, like her car had gotten stuck on the train tracks and nothing she did made it start up again. Worse was the fact that any train that had been coming towards her had pretty much just veered off course, so even the fear of being hit had lost its meaning at this point.

* * *

Time flies when you’re having fun, the saying goes, even when that fun is just a nice conversation. The sun had dropped down into the horizon, giving way to the moon as it hung high in the sky. The Big Donut usually closed at 9pm during the week and 8pm on the weekends, but Lars and Sadie would usually close early, especially when it was clear no one was coming in after 7:30 or so. That same mindset is what led Sadie, with help from Greg, start to close up for the night, right around the 8:20 mark, holding out the hope that a tourist or townie would stumble inside, but no one did.

As per usual.

The two had been standing on the patio, Greg watching Sadie’s back as she locked the door, when the elder man had thought he saw something in the sky. It was a twinkle, almost like a star, but he watched, eyes squinted to see if he could pinpoint if that was a star or a planet, the twinkle began to grow bigger until Greg could see it wasn’t a star at all.

It was a ship.

After the events of the day, Greg immediately thought that perhaps this was a ship coming from Homeworld and the occupants wouldn’t be friendly. While he and Sadie could handle the occasional corrupted gem, he didn’t think they could handle a Homeworld force. The ship was coming in fast and its goal was the beach house, the epicenter of gem activity within the city, most likely there to take more from Greg and the other residents than had already been stolen.

By the time Greg had made the decision that he would call up the mayor and get everyone to a safe place, Sadie was standing next to him, also watching as the incoming ship began to land, disappearing behind the hill shape that stood between the Big Donut and the house. “Was that a ship?” she asked, her voice wavering in fear, but she didn’t shrink back.

Greg just nodded. “Come on,” he whispered, taking a few steps on the path towards the house. “If this is another invasion, we need to check it out before we tell Dewey.”

“You think he’s gonna do anything?”

“Even if it’s just evacuating the town, he’s doing something.”

The two headed off towards the beach house, slowing slightly when they both caught sight of the ship proper. It had just landed on the sand as the two approached, hiding slightly behind the hillside to view the newcomers. They heard, rather than saw, the door hatch of the ship open and watched as the boarding ramp slid out and landed with a slight thump on the sand below.

Whatever apprehension the two had dissolved quickly as soon as Greg saw the first person who emerged – Pearl.

“Guys!”

Not waiting another moment, Greg immediately ran from his hiding place and headed towards the ship, startling the occupants as they walked down the ramp. Steven only saw a blur before he was wrapped up in his dad’s arms, being twirled slightly in happiness; the young teen wasn’t the only one who received a hug, as Greg gave them out to everyone, even Peridot and Lapis, who only knew Greg as being Steven’s parental unit.

Sadie hung back, watching as the family reunited and seeing that everyone was safe. It wasn’t long until everyone’s attention turned to her, with Steven and Connie giving her a hug as well, she even got a so-called glomp from the gem known as Amethyst, who immediately shapeshifted into a purple version of the blonde, joking that if she ever needed a day off, she’d be more than happy to fill in for her. The group laughed and joked, questions and queries on their journey being thrown about before Steven’s stomach made their next statement, growling loudly and causing the others to joke.

“I guess I’m a little hungry,” the teenager joked, rubbing at his stomach. “I could definitely use a donut or more than one.”

Sadie smiled. “I did just close the shop,” she began, but seeing the disappointed look on Steven’s face, she tried to school her face from breaking out in laughter. “And I don’t normally open it unless something happens, like my friend and his family returning from space.”

It took Steven nearly a minute to realize she was joking with him before he laughed, calling her a literal life saver. And he would’ve followed her, if Connie hadn’t stopped him, saying that she’d go get a box of donuts. “I’ll go too,” Pearl piped, giving the gem hybrid a knowing smile. “If just to make sure some of these donuts are somewhat healthy.”

“Have you never seen a donut, Pirogi?” Amethyst asked, giving the thinner gem a look. “They’re about as nutritious as you are messy.”

Sadie couldn’t help but laugh, realizing just how much she missed these guys, even if she didn’t know them as much as she would’ve liked. And maybe she needed to change that; Mr. Universe had told her to try and live a life outside of just the Big Donut and Lars and maybe it was well past the time to do that. Sadie led the two to the shop, letting the two make small talk around her as she opened up, waving off the gratefulness of them both as they thanked her for doing this for them.

Sadie went about getting two boxes of donuts together for the duo, making sure she picked the fresher ones as she did and warning the two that some of the ones might be a bit stale, but the teenage girl piped up that sometimes the stale donuts were the best. Once chosen, the girl and gem began to head out, lingering while Sadie began to close up again, asking the blonde if she wanted to join them.

She declined, stating that she was planning on catching up on her sleep, but that she was happy they were all back, safe and sound. She watched the two walk outside, while she went about turning off the light; outside, she noticed that two more people had appeared before her previous customers. They all seemed to know each other, evident by the way an adult male hugged Connie; from the look of the man and their embrace, it was clear that this must have been Connie’s father.

Sadie didn’t know who the pink haired woman was that had appeared, but it looked as though the gem known as Pearl knew who she was. They were the last ones to leave, as Connie and her father had walked off towards the beach house. “Oh hey,” she replied, watching the two. “I’m sorry. Did you want something? I’m usually not open this late.”

“No, no…”

“It’s fine, Sadie,” Pearl replied, standing straight, her eyes never leaving the face of the other woman. “She’s…she’s with me.”

Sadie nodded, wishing the two goodnight, though it was clear that neither woman heard what she said, their attention obviously on each other and nothing else. The blonde smirked at the two, turning towards the street and headed home. As she walked home, Sadie’s mind buzzed with the events of the day, from her own earlier thoughts to Mr. Universe’s words to their fight with the gem creature.

Just blocks from her home, Sadie stopped suddenly, her hand automatically going to her back pocket where she kept her phone. Fishing it out, she unlocked the device and went into her contacts, looking at the very small list of people listed there. Timidly, Sadie watched as her finger tapped on the contact for Jenny Pizza, opening up the options to either call the young woman or text her.

Sadie opted to send a text.

_Hey, it’s Sadie. Are you, Buck, and Sour Cream still working on your band? I’d like to sit in, if that’s okay._

**_Jenny Pizza:_ ** _SADIE!!! Of course! You’re always welcomed!_

_Great. If you guys ever want to come over, we could watch a movie or something._

**_Jenny Pizza:_ ** _Yes girl! You totally have to show Sour Cream Wax Museum. He’s never seen it, can you believe it?_

Sadie chuckled, a dazed look on her face as she did. She wasn’t sure why she had done that, sent that text to Jenny, but she fought against the pull of wanting to back out of the invite. Mr. Universe told her to enjoy her life, to have one outside of working at the Big Donut, and that’s what she was going to do.

Starting now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> G4TV was an awesome channel that used to show some of the more popular geeky/nerdy shows. Stuff like X-Play, the original Ninja Warrior, and some of the shows done by Morgan Webb and Adam Sessler got their start on the channel. They also played classic Japanese movies, like Godzilla, House of the Flying Daggers, and more. Obviously, I miss that crazy channel. :(
> 
> Goji is a shortened name for Gojira, which was the original name and title for the first (and extremely) popular Godzilla movie.
> 
> Dewey gets a lot of flack, but I do believe that he's a good guy just not suited to politics. In this case, he relied heavily on the Gems to keep the city from strange happenings that he never really did anything other than campaign, which as we see in Dewey Wins, was a quick way to his being voted out. Haven't decided where he'll be in future stories, but I'll most likely follow his arc from the show; I feel like the BD is a good place for him.


End file.
